MEASLES,
MUMPS, AND RUBELLA VACCINES
What
you need to know:
1.
Why get vaccinated?
Measles, mumps, and rubella are serious diseases.
Measles
• Measles virus causes rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation,
and fever.
• It can lead to ear infection, pneumonia, seizures (jerking
and staring), brain damage, and death.
Mumps
• Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands.
• It 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)
• Rubella virus causes rash, mild fever, and arthritis (mostly
in women).
• If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could
have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth
defects.
You
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.
2.
Who should get MMR vaccine and when?
Children should get 2 doses of MMR vaccine:
- The first at 12-15 months of age
- and the second at 4-6 years of age.
Some
adults should also get MMR vaccine:
Those without documented evidence of immunity to measles, mumps,
and rubella.
Non-pregnant women of childbrearing age.
Healthcare workers and international travelers without evidence
of immunity.
3.
Some people should not get MMR vaccine or should wait
* People should not get MMR vaccine who have ever had a life-threatening
allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or to a previous
dose of MMR vaccine.
* People
who are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled
should usually wait until they recover before getting MMR vaccine.
* Pregnant
women should wait to get MMR vaccine until after they have given
birth. Women should avoid getting pregnant for 4 weeks after getting
MMR vaccine.
* Some
people should check with their doctor about whether they should
get MMR vaccine, including anyone who:
- Has HIV/AIDS, or another disease that affects the immune system
- Is being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, such
as steroids, for 2 weeks or longer.
- Has any kind of cancer
- Is taking cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs
- Has ever had a low platelet count (a blood disorder)
*
People who recently had a transfusion or were given other blood
products should ask their doctor when they may get MMR vaccine
4.
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
• Fever (up to 1 person out of 6)
• Mild rash (about 1 person out of 20)
• Swelling 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
• Seizure (jerking or staring) caused by fever (about 1 out
of 3,000 doses)
• Temporary pain and stiffness in the joints, mostly in teenage
or adult women (up to 1 out of 4)
• Temporary low platelet count, which can cause a bleeding
disorder (about 1 out of 30,000 doses)
Severe
Problems (Very Rare)
• Serious allergic reaction (less than 1 out of a million
doses)
5.
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 within 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?
• Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened,
and when the vaccination was given.
6.
How can I learn more?
• Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the vaccine
package insert or suggest other sources of information.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov
(accessed February 2008) and Committee on Immunization, Philippine
Society for Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (PSMID) &
the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV). Handbook on Adult
Immunization for Filipinos 2004.
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