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This page provides a brief summary of the disease and the vaccine that is available to prevent it. Links to more detailed information are provided at the bottom of the page.
What are measles, mumps and rubella?
Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious diseases caused by viruses. They are spread by close contact with an infected person
Measles causes fever, cough, red and painful eyes, and a rash.
Of the people who get measles:
- 1 or 2 in 1000 will die;
- 1 in 20 will get an ear infection;
- 1 in 25 will get pneumonia or bronchitis;
- 1 in 200 will have convulsions (fits);
- 1 in 6 will get diarrhoea;
- 1 in 1000 will develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
- For every 10 children who develop encephalitis, 1 will die and up to 4 will have brain damage;
- 1 in 6000 will get a blood-clotting problem;
- 1 in 8000 children, who get measles under the age of two, get sub-acute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a degenerative condition of the nervous system, which is always fatal.SSPE can occur many years after a child gets measles.
Mumps causes swollen neck glands and a fever.
Of the people who get mumps:
- 1 in 3 will get fever, headache, and swollen salivary glands under the jaw;
- 4 in 10 men who have mumps will get swollen testicles;
- 1 in 20 will get viral meningitis;
- 1 in 1000 will get encephalitis (brain inflammation);
- 1 in 20,000 may become deaf;
- Infertility in men can rarely occur.
Rubella causes a rash, fever and swollen glands.If a pregnant woman gets rubella in early pregnancy it may cause major birth defects in the baby.
Of the people who get rubella:
- About 1 in 2 will get a rash and painful swollen glands; and more than half of women with rubella get painful joints.
- 1 in 3000 get thrombocytopenia (bruising or bleeding of the skin);
- 1 in 6000 get encephalitis (inflammation of the brain);
- If a pregnant woman gets rubella in early pregnancy 9 in 10 babies will have a major birth defect, such as deafness, blindness, brain damage or heart defects.
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What is the MMR vaccine?
The MMR vaccine protects your child against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). The vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to build up protection against these diseases.It is a live vaccine which means it contains weakened forms of the measles, mumps and rubella viruses.
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Who should get the MMR vaccine?
The MMR vaccine is given to babies at 12 months of age. Children should get a second dose at 4-5 years of age.This is usually given at school by the HSE’s school immunisation teams but in some areas it is given by the child’s GP.
Two doses of MMR give your child the best protection.Some children may have missed their second dose of the MMR vaccine and this has given rise to outbreaks of mumps and measles recently.Older children should complete a full course of MMR as soon as possible.
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What to expect after getting the MMR vaccine?
After getting the vaccine, your child may be sore, swollen or red around the area where the injection was given. They may be irritable and have a fever. If this happens you can give them paracetamol or ibuprofen. You should also give them plenty to drink. Make sure they are not too warm and that their clothes are not rubbing against the injection area.
Side effects of the MMR vaccine
Of the people who are immunised:
- 1 in 10 will have discomfort, redness or swelling where the injection was given, or will have a fever;
- 1 in 20 will get a rash six to 12 days later(this is not contagious);
- 1 in 20 get swollen glands, a stiff neck, or joint pains;
- 1 in 100 may develop swelling of the salivary glands under the jaw; and
- 1 in 1000 will have a convulsion (fit);
- 1 in 22,000 will get a temporary blood clotting problem / bruising or bleeding
- 1 in 1,000,000 may get encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
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Are there people who should not get the MMR vaccine?
The MMR vaccine is safe for most people. However, your child should not get the vaccine if they have had a true allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous MMR vaccine or any part of the vaccine.
The vaccine should not be given to anyone who is pregnant.
You should delay getting the vaccine if your child:
- is ill with a fever;
- has had another live vaccine, e.g. the BCG vaccine, within the previous three weeks;
- is on high dose steroids;
- is on treatment with Protopic ointment for severe eczema;
- is having treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- If your child is on any of the treatments listed above you should discuss vaccination with your child’s doctor.
- If a person’s immune system is severely affected, by illness or treatment, they may not be able to get the vaccine.
If you have any concerns, talk to your family doctor or public health nurse.
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Should my child get the vaccine if they have an egg allergy?
The MMR vaccine can be given to children with a severe egg allergy.A severe allergy to the MMR vaccine is extremely rare even in children with a serious egg allergy.It is not necessary to avoid the MMR vaccine if your child dislikes eggs or has diarrhoea or stomach pains after eating eggs and you do not need to take any special precautions.If you have any doubts, talk to the doctor or nurse giving the immunisation.
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Is there a link between the MMR vaccine and autism or bowel disease?
We know that vaccines don’t cause autism, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, allergies, asthma or attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity). However, when things happen around the same time we can think that there is a link between the two things. For example, the signs of autism usually become noticeable at about the age when children are given the MMR vaccine, but one does not cause the other. The majority of children are immunised, therefore children with and children without conditions such as autism, asthma or attention deficit disorder are just as likely to have received the same immunisations.
Over the past 30 years, more than 500 million doses of MMR vaccine have been given in over 90 countries.Experts from around the world, including the World Health Organisation, agree that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease.
Studies to see if children who have been immunised are more likely to have these conditions have shown that there is no link between the conditions and vaccines.Extensive research into the MMR vaccine, involving thousands of children, was carried out in the UK, the USA, Sweden, and Finland. This research showed that there is no link between MMR and autism. A study looked at the vaccination records of every child born in Denmark from 1991 to 1998 (over half a million children). During that time, 82% of children born in Denmark received the MMR vaccine. The researchers found that the risk of autism was the same in immunised children and in children who had not been immunised.
The General Medical Council in the UK in May 2010 decided that Dr Andrew Wakefield should be removed from the medical register after finding him guilty of serious professional misconduct and unethical behaviour in relation to research he carried out on children.Dr Wakefield used the results of this research to falsely represent a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
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For more information
Further information on immunisation is available from your G.P., public health nurse, or local HSE clinic.
You can download a copy of the MMR leaflet in English here or in the following languages Irish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Romanian.
In addition the links below provide some more detailed information:
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