Immunization : Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine

infected person coughing or sneezing aroundthem or simply talking to them. It can also bespread through contact with the saliva of aninfected person.Rubella (German Measles)Rubella is very dangerous in pregnantwomen. If a woman gets rubella in the earlypart of a pregnancy, it is very likely that herbaby will die or be severely handicapped.The most common handicaps are blindness,deafness, mental retardation and heartdefects.Rubella is usually a mild illness in children;up to half of the infections with rubella occurwithout a rash. The disease can be moresevere in older children and adults especiallywomen. Rubella may cause fever, sore throat,swollen glands in the neck and a rash on theface and neck. Temporary aches and painsand swelling of the joints are common inadolescents and adults, especially females.Rubella can be followed by chronic arthritis.It can also cause temporary blood clottingproblems and encephalitis (swelling of thebrain).Rubella spreads by contact with an infectedperson through coughing, sneezing or talkingto them. It can also be spread by contact withthe saliva of infected people.How well does MMR vaccine protectagainst measles, mumps and rubella?The vaccine protects about 99 per cent ofthose who get both needles against measles.It protects 95 per cent of people againstmumps and about 98 per cent of peopleagainst rubella. Protection from measles,mumps and rubella after getting the vaccineis probably life-long. Vaccination also makesthese diseases milder for those who maycatch them.Is the MMR vaccine safe?Yes. Most children will have no side effects.MMR vaccine can cause a rash or fever insome children five to 12 days after the needleis given. This may last for a few days.Occasionally, a high fever can cause aconvulsion. The convulsion comes from thehigh fever caused by the vaccine rather thanthe vaccine itself. This does not make thechild any more likely to get epilepsy, braindamage or any other nerve problems.Convulsions caused by high fever are morelikely to occur in children who have hadconvulsions before or whose parents,brothers or sisters have had convulsions.The mumps part of the vaccine may causefever and swelling of the glands in the neck.Meningitis (an infection of the fluid andlining covering the spinal cord) may occurvery rarely, in one in 800,000 people who getthe vaccine. The meningitis caused bymumps vaccine is mild, and permanent braindamage does not occur.The rubella part of the vaccine may cause amild fever, rash or swelling of the glands inthe neck in one out of seven children. Thisusually happens 6 to 10 days after getting theshot and lasts for one to 2 days. Less than onein 200 children may develop swelling andpain in some joints after the vaccine. Up toone in four teenage girls and adult womenmay get painful swelling of some jointswithin one to three weeks after vaccination.The joint pain and swelling usually lasts onlya few days. Very rarely, chronic arthritis mayoccur.Mild, temporary blood clotting problemshave been reported during the month