Pharmacist 'grateful to be alive' after measles horror issues warning to parents

A 42-year-old NHS worker was left fighting for her life after what she thought was just a sore throat turned out to be a Victorian-era virus

A pharmacist who nearly died after catching measles at 42 has issued a stark warning to parents to get their children vaccinated.

Saijal Ladd, an NHS prescribing advisor, was left fighting for her life after developing the Victorian-era virus, which she said caused her organs to start shutting down.

Saijal, who told her story to health officials at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), urges all parents to get their children vaccinated against the disease as the UKHSA reminds Brits that "measles isn't just a childhood illness".

Saijal had been feeling unwell "for a few days" with a sore throat and temperature, but said she didn't think she was suffering with "anything serious" until her symptoms worsened.

"I felt really unwell with diarrhoea, fever and generalised weakness and early the next morning I woke to find a rash all over my body," Saijal recalled. "Being a pharmacist, I knew this wasn’t a common cold or even flu and soon realised with all the other accompanying symptoms that the rash looked like measles."

After being rushed to Barnet General Hospital in 2016, she was placed in isolation before her liver, kidneys and lungs started to fail and she was admitted to intensive care.

Saijal said that doctors were "unsure" if she would survive through the night.

"I don’t recall what happened after this, but when I woke the next morning, I was still on the ward. A family member later told me how they nearly lost me during the night and that the clinicians were unsure if I would make it through until morning," Saijal said.

She added: "I was so grateful to have woken up and been told that I’d started to stabilise - it was now a waiting game to see if my body’s immune system would be able to fight against this virus. I also felt thankful for having led a fit and healthy life, as this allowed my body to fight the measles virus."

Thankfully her condition eventually stabilised – but the road to recovery was long. "I was unable to walk even a few metres without getting breathless and would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night feeling extremely weak due to a drop in sugar levels," she explained.

Saijal said it took her around three months to get back to her "normal" level of activity.

Now, as measles cases rise across England, Saijal has urged parents to vaccinate their children against the virus.

In 2024 there were 2,911 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded in one year since 2012. Since January 1 2025, the UKHSA says there have been 213 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England – a rise of 62 cases since the last report on March 13.

According to the UKHSA, hundreds of children are left vulnerable due to falling uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Saijal added: "This whole experience was extremely frightening, and I would urge all parents to consider vaccinating their children so that they don’t have to go through what I did in adulthood.

"Looking back, I’m so grateful to be alive and really feel like life has given me a second chance!"

Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later, the NHS warns. These include a high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a cough, and red, sore, watery eyes. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth.

The UKHSA told Saijal's story as part of London’s 'Why We Get Vaccinated' campaign.