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Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR)
Why get vaccinated?
Measles, mumps & rubella are serious diseases.

Measles

bulletMeasles virus causes rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, and fever.
bulletIt can lead to ear infection, pneumonia, seizures (jerking and staring), brain damage, and death.

Mumps

bulletMumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands.
bulletIt can lead to deafness, meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord covering), painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and rarely death.

Rubella (German Measles)

bulletRubella virus causes rash, mild fever and arthritis (mostly in women).
bulletIf a woman get rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth defects.

You or your child could catch these diseases by being around someone who has them.  They spread from person to person through the air.

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent these diseases.

Most children who get their MMR shots will not get these diseases.  Many more children would get them if we stopped  vaccinating.

Who should get MMR vaccine and when?
Children should get 2 doses of MMR vaccine.
bulletThe first at 12-15 months of age
bulletThe second at 4-6 years of age

These are the recommended ages.  But children can get the second dose at any age, as long as it is at least 28 days after the first dose.

Some adults should also get MMR vaccine.  Generally, anyone 18 years of age or older, who was born after 1956, should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine, unless they show that they have had either the vaccines or the disease.

Ask your doctor or nurse for more information.

*MMR vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

 

Some people should not get MMR vaccine or should wait.
  1. People should not get MMR vaccine who have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or a previous dose of MMR vaccine.
  2. People who are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should usually wait until they recover before getting MMR vaccine.
  3. Pregnant women should wait to get MMR vaccine until after they have given birth.  Women should not get pregnant for 3 months after getting MMR vaccine.
Some people should check with their doctor about whether they should get MMR vaccine, including anyone who:
bulletHas HIV/AIDS, or another disease that affects the immune system.
bulletIs being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, such as steroids, for 2 weeks or longer.
bulletHas any kind of cancer.
bulletIs taking cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs.
bulletHas ever had a low platelet count (a blood disorder).
bulletPeople who recently had a transfusion or were given other blood products should ask their doctor when they may get MMR vaccine.

**Ask your doctor or nurse for more information.

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What are the risks from MMR vaccine?
A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.  The risk of MMR vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.

Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting any of these three diseases.

Mild Problems

bulletFever (up to 1 person out of 6)
bulletMild rash (about 1 person out of 20)
bulletSwelling of glands in the cheeks or neck (rare)

** If these problems occur, it is usually within 7-12 days after the shot.  They occur less often after the second dose.

Moderate Problems

bulletSeizure (jerking or staring) caused by fever (about 1 out of 3,000 doses)
bulletTemporary pain and stiffness in the joints, mostly in teenage or adult women (up to 1 out of 4)
bulletTemporary low platelet count, which can cause a bleeding disorder (about 1 out of 30,000 doses)

Severe Problems (Very Rare)

bulletSerious allergic reaction (less than 1 out of a million doses)
bulletSeveral other severe problems have been know to occur after a child gets MMR vaccine.  But this happens so rarely, experts cannot be sure whether they are caused by the vaccine or not.
bulletThese include: deafness, long-term seizures, coma, lowered consciousness and permanent brain damage.

What if there is a moderate or severe reaction?

What should I look for?

Any unusual conditions, such as a serious allergic reaction, high fever or behavior changes.  Signs of a serious allergic reaction include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness with in a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.  A high fever or seizure, if it occurs, would happen 1 or 2 weeks after the shot.

What should I do?

bulletCall a doctor or get the person to a doctor right away.
bulletTell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened and when the vaccination was given.
bulletAsk your doctor, nurse or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call VAERS yourself at 1-800-822-7967.

For more information contact your local health department or physician.

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