A MIDDLEWICH mum is urging parents to get their children immunised against measles after her two-year-old daughter contracted the virus.

The mum-of-two, who does not wish to be named, ended up taking the toddler to the Victoria Infirmary Northwich after her temperature rocketed.

She said: “She did have all the typical symptoms, it started off with a cold and then a rash and it was only when her temperature went really high that I took her to hospital.

“For a good few weeks she was very, very poorly.”

The youngster contracted the potentially fatal virus in July and it is thought she was one of the first cases in the area.

At the time measles was very rare and it was not diagnosed by the little girl’s doctor.

Her mum added: “I think it was missed because it was one of the early cases.

“At that time measles hadn’t been mentioned at all and the doctors said it was very rare and hadn’t been heard of for years and years – it was only the doctor at the hospital who was pretty sure it was measles.”

Since the toddler contracted the virus she has developed a severe case of eczema, which her mum suspects was brought on by the measles.

She added: “It does seem like a massive coincidence because when the measles went she had this other rash, which we found out was eczema.”

The toddler had been immunised with her first dose of the MMR jab, but was not old enough for the booster jab so could still contract the virus.

The mum is now having the toddler and her one-year-old daughter immunised again this week.

She is urging parents to contact their doctors and get their children immunised.

She added: “I just want to let parents know that if they are concerned then ask their doctor to get their children vaccinated because they are very helpful.”

The Health Protection Agency is currently immunising 10,500 school children across Cheshire, but parents with pre-school children are urged to contact their doctors.