There is an increasing number of people in Birmingham with measles, with many measles cases linked to Birmingham schools. Measles is a very infectious disease that can spread rapidly - outbreaks can happen when not enough people have been vaccinated. While most people recover completely within a couple of weeks, measles can cause serious illness and in rare cases it can be fatal. Measles can cause disruption to schools, as any child or adult who has not had at least one dose of MMR and comes into contact with a person with measles will have to be excluded from nursery, school or work for 21 days and stay at home.