Measles (tigdas) and rubella (tigdas hangin): symptoms, home care and vaccines

Measles is a virus that spreads very easily. Symptoms usually start 1 to 2 weeks after a person catches it.

First, it looks like a bad cold:

• high fever
• runny nose, sneezing and cough
• red, sore, watery eyes; bright light may hurt
• a few days later, tiny white spots inside the cheeks

Then the rash. About 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms, a red or brown blotchy rash starts on the face and behind the ears. Over about 3 days it spreads down to the body, arms and legs. It is usually not very itchy. It fades after about 4 to 8 days, and most people feel better after about a week.

Measles or dengue? Both cause fever and rash. Nose bleeding, stomach pain and joint pain can be signs of dengue instead (see our dengue guide). Chickenpox causes blisters instead (see our chickenpox guide). Get any fever with rash checked.

Many Filipinos call rubella, or German measles, tigdas hangin. Some families use the name for other mild rashes too, so let a health worker check.

Rubella is a different virus. In children it is usually mild: a low fever, a pink spotty rash that starts on the face and lasts 1 to 3 days, and swollen glands behind the ears and in the neck. Some people get no rash at all. Adults, more often women, may get painful fingers, wrists or knees for several days, sometimes up to 10. Symptoms show up 2 to 3 weeks after catching it, and home care is the same as for measles.

The big danger is pregnancy. Rubella early in pregnancy can harm the baby (see pregnancy below).

Measles and rubella are caused by viruses that spread when a sick person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. The virus can stay in the air of a room for up to 2 hours, and up to 9 in 10 unprotected people near a sick person will catch it. A person spreads measles from about 4 days before the rash until 4 days after it appears, often before anyone knows it is measles. Rubella spreads from about a week before symptoms until at least 5 days after the rash.

When many children in a barangay miss their vaccines, outbreaks happen. In early 2019, with outbreaks declared in five regions, the country reported more than 12,700 cases and 203 deaths in under two months, mostly in young, unvaccinated children. In 2025 the Philippines again had more than 5,000 measles cases.

There is no medicine that kills the measles or rubella virus, and no home remedy that cures it. Most people get better at home with good care.

Get it checked first at your health center, and tell them before you go in so they can keep you away from other patients. Mild cases are best cared for at home, because measles spreads easily in hospitals.

What helps at home:

• Rest, soft healthy food and plenty of fluids: water, soup, and breast milk for babies.
• Oral rehydration salts (ORS) if there is diarrhea or vomiting, mixed exactly as the packet says (see our diarrhea guide).
• Paracetamol can ease fever and aches. Follow the label, and for a baby or young child ask a doctor or pharmacist first (see fever in children). Never give aspirin to anyone under 16.
• Clean the eyes gently with cotton dipped in boiled water that has cooled. A dimmer room may help if light hurts.

Vitamin A. For children under 5 with measles, WHO advises vitamin A given by a health worker. It helps prevent eye damage and blindness, and may lower the risk of death.

Antibiotics don't work on viruses. A doctor may prescribe them for an extra infection, such as pneumonia.

Unsure about a symptom? Ask our AI symptom guide or a nurse.

"Bawal maligo." (Don't bathe.) There is no medical reason to stop bathing, and no guidance we checked warns against it. A quick lukewarm wash keeps the skin clean; dry the person well and dress them lightly. It won't lower a fever, though: NICE advises against sponging for that.

"Palabasin ang tigdas." (Wrap up and close the windows to bring the rash out.) The rash comes and fades on its own. Thick blankets only make a feverish child hotter. Keep windows open: fresh air lowers the chance of the virus spreading at home.

Leaf baths. No good studies show they cure measles. If you use one, cool the water fully and keep it away from the eyes.

Vitamin A bought on your own. Leave it to the health center. Too much can harm the liver, and it does not prevent measles.

"Bawal ang malansa." (No fish, eggs or chicken.) A sick child needs more nourishment, not less. Offer soft, small servings.

Never let a remedy delay help when there are warning signs.

Stay home from school, daycare or work for at least 4 days after the measles rash appears, or at least 5 days for rubella. During this time:

• keep away from babies, pregnant women and people with a weak immune system
• open windows, wash hands often, and cover coughs and sneezes
• don't share cups, spoons, towels or bedding

Were you near someone with measles? If you or your child are not fully vaccinated, go to the health center or a doctor the same day. A vaccine dose within 3 days (72 hours) of contact can help prevent measles. People who can't have the vaccine, such as pregnant women, young babies and people with a weak immune system, may get antibodies instead, best within 6 days.

About 1 in 10 people with measles get complications, which cause most measles deaths (about 95,000 worldwide in 2024):

• pneumonia (see our pneumonia guide)
• ear infections
• severe diarrhea and dehydration
• eye damage and blindness, more likely in children low in vitamin A
• encephalitis, a swelling of the brain that can lead to lasting brain damage

They are most common in children under 5, adults over 30, malnourished children, pregnant women and people whose immune system is weakened by HIV or another illness.

Measles also weakens the immune system for a while: the body can "forget" how to fight germs it knew, so other infections come more easily afterwards.

Measles in pregnancy can cause miscarriage or a baby born too early or too small. Rubella early in pregnancy passes to the baby about 9 times in 10 and can cause miscarriage or congenital rubella syndrome: a baby born with deafness, eye problems, heart defects or slow development.

If you are pregnant and have a new rash, or were near someone with measles or rubella, see a doctor today. Tell the clinic before you go, so they can see you away from other patients. Tell your prenatal check-up team too.

These vaccines are not given during pregnancy. If you plan to get pregnant, ask your doctor whether you are protected; a blood test can check. Doctors advise waiting 4 weeks (28 days) after the vaccine before getting pregnant.

If you have measles or rubella and are breastfeeding, ask your doctor today how to feed your baby safely.

Vaccination is the best protection, and it is free at health centers. Under the DOH National Immunization Program, babies get a measles-containing vaccine, such as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), free at barangay health stations and RHUs: the first dose at 9 months and the second at 12 months. During outbreaks, WHO advises vaccinating from 6 months. Bring the baby book every visit, and see our immunization schedule guide.

After 2 doses, about 99 in 100 people are protected against measles and rubella. One dose is not enough for everyone.

Ligtas Tigdas campaigns. When cases rise, the DOH brings the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine to communities in catch-up drives. In 2026 the drive reached remote villages of Zamboanga del Norte in February, with a phase for Luzon and the Visayas set for June. Lost the baby book? The Philippine Pediatric Society says a child can just get the missed doses: an extra dose causes no harmful reaction, but a missed one leaves the child unprotected.

Side effects are usually mild: a sore arm, or fever and a light rash about 7 to 11 days later. Large studies found no link with autism.

Who should not get it: pregnant women, people with a very weak immune system, and anyone who had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. The health worker will check first.

• Barangay health station or RHU first. Send word ahead so a health worker can see the person away from others. Measles vaccines there are free.
• PhilHealth YAKAP. As of July 2025, consultations at your registered YAKAP clinic are free (a private one may collect up to ₱900 per patient for the year), and medicines your YAKAP doctor prescribes come from accredited pharmacies within a ₱20,000 yearly limit per person. See our PhilHealth YAKAP guide.
• Hospital stay. PhilHealth pays a fixed case rate that covers hospital and doctor's fees. Under Circular 2024-0037, still the latest list we found in November 2026, measles is ₱15,015 without complications, ₱15,210 with an ear infection, ₱29,250 with pneumonia and ₱42,120 with encephalitis; rubella without complications is ₱7,800. Ask the PhilHealth desk what is left to pay, and read what PhilHealth covers.
• Can't pay the rest? The hospital's Malasakit Center is one desk for medical and financial help from PhilHealth, the PCSO and the DSWD (see our Malasakit Center guide).

Find a health center with our care finder, or book a call with a nurse. More infection and fever guides.