By: The MMR Vaccine is a vaccine that protects against measles, mumps & rubella.
Mumps is an illness of salivary glands which results in painful swelling of parotids associated with fever. Few of its serious complications are hearing loss, meningitis and rarely sterility.
Measles is an exanthematous illness which causes high grade fever, rash all over body. It has potential to cause serious complications which includes pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of brain).
Rubella, although causes mild disease in children but if a pregnant female catches it during pregnancy leads to multiple problems called as congenital rubella syndrome.
This vaccine can be given to any child after 1st birthday but routinely it’s given at 15 months of age. The vaccine is generally well tolerated but few side effects may occur which are fever rash and decreased appetite between day 8 and day 10 after vaccine. The booster dose of same is given at 4.5 years’ age which is also available in combination form as MMRV vaccine.
