The Middlesex and Surrey Express, West Middlesex Herald and Southall Guardian published this article on 25 March 1904.

Alarming Outbreak of Measles

Fatal Results

During the last few days a serious outbreak of measles has occurred in Acton, it being estimated that there are now over 300 children down with this disease.  Of these about 150 are from the Priory Schools, and consequently the infants’ departments of this school has been closed.  One other school in the district has also been closed as a result of the epidemic, and that the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Girls’ School, Creffield Road.  Unhappily, in several instances, the disease has terminated fatally, but every precaution has been taken by the Public Health Department to prevent the further spread of the epidemic, which is the severest spread of its kind ever known in Acton.  Miss Williams, the lady health visitor recently appointed by the District Council, has proved of the greatest service to the department by visiting suspected cases, and instructing mothers in the treatment of the complaint.  The Medical Officer of Health suggests, as a very necessary precaution against the spread of infection, that mothers should at once isolate children suffering with colds or catarrh, and inform the Health Department, or call in medical assistance.

This occurred more than 40 years before the NHS was established on 5 July 1948 and more than 60 years before the measles vaccine was introduced in the U.K. in 1968.  It shows that infection control relied on isolation in those days just as the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 are used to control the spread of Covid-19.