Measles, Mumps and Rubella – MMR Vaccine
The diseases
Measles is one of the most serious of childhood diseases. It can cause deafness, blindness, convulsions, other brain disorders and death. Mumps is a virus that causes pain and swelling in the salivary glands of the face and neck. It can cause deafness, muscle weakness, seizures, brain disorders and painful testicular swelling in males.
Rubella or German measles is a common, mild infection of childhood. However, a pregnant woman who catches rubella is at much higher risk of giving birth to a child with birth defects.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is an important part of prevention for these childhood diseases, not just for your child but for other children as well.
The vaccine
The MMR vaccine dose for measles, mumps and rubella come as a combined vaccine. The MMR vaccine is highly effective against preventing disease.
Side effects
There can be some MMR vaccine side effects, which include:
- Fever and a rash in 5 to 15 percent of children 1 to 2 weeks after receiving the vaccine
- Joint aches in older children (1%)
- Mild fever after shot
- Brain inflammation (1 in 1,000,000)
- Swelling of neck glands (15%)
- Allergic reaction (rare)
