This mum's viral Facebook post on the importance of vaccinating children will strike a chord with parents all over the world.
Jilly Moss, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, shared terrifying photos of her one-year-old daughter Alba in hospital after contracting measles, explaining the baby hadn't yet been able to have her MMR vaccination as she was too young.
The NHS typically vaccinates children for measles, mumps and rubella when they are aged between 12 to 15 months old, and they have a booster jab at 15 months to six years old.
Alba had just turned one when she contracted measles and had not yet had her vaccination, meaning she had to fight the virus with no immunity.
Advert
Jilly explained that she'd been asked by medics at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to share the photos of their daughter to educate about the importance of vaccinations.
She added: "Posting these heartbreaking images of our beautiful baby girl who contracted MEASLES is extremely difficult, we are still in hospital 8 days after being admitted.
"She was too young for her MMR vaccination when she got sick which meant she has had to fight this killer virus with no immunity.
Advert
"Measles is not 'just a rash' it can cause blindness, encephalitis and pneumonia. We need to do more people. Get your children vaccinated."
Measles caused Alba's eyes to swell shut for four days, and had a high fever that lasted for over two weeks.
Jilly continued: "The MMR does not cause life threatening issues like Measles does. Your babies might feel under the weather for a day or so but believe me you'd accept that over what we have been through.
Advert
"It has been absolutely horrific watching our daughter fight this with her eyes swollen shut for 4 days. She has been in the dark, scared with a high fever that lasted for over two weeks.
"In hospital she has been scanned, X-rayed poked prodded bloods taken, lumbar punctures done, canulars fitted, swabs taken, ECG Eccos, obs done every 20 mins, tube fed, on a drip, oxygen, pumped full of drugs, anti inflammatory pain relief antibiotics you name it she's had it."
Alba's mum believes that her daughter would have been protected from the virus if other children older than her been vaccinated.
Advert
"The truth is this all could have been prevented if the protection layer of older kids above Alba had been vaccinated," she added. "Educate yourselves, talk about it, spread the word SHARE THIS POST. Do whatever you need to do because without the care of Chelsea and west Doctors our beautiful baby would not be here today."
Cases of measles have tripled in England across the last year, something NHS boss Simon Stevens believes could be caused by 'fake news' spread across social media.
And MMR vaccine take-up among five-year-olds has fallen for five consecutive years in a row.
Advert
Controversial reports have also wrongly linked MMR vaccinations to autism, and while the claims have been widely discredited, the argument is still used by anti-vaxxers.
Complications of measles are more likely to develop in certain groups of people, including babies under one and children with a weakened immune system.
These can include fits caused by fever, diarrhoea and vomiting, eye infections and infections of the airways and lungs.
Featured Image Credit: Jilly MossTopics: Life News, Real, Health