MMR | MMRV | Measles | Vaccine Type | Usage | Precautions | Side Effects
- Measles is caused by Measles virus, an RNA virus of the Paramyxoviridae family.
- It most commonly affects young children.
- While Rare in the US, it is endemic in various parts of Asia and Africa.
Vaccine Type
- Live – attenuated vaccine.
Available as
- MMR: combination of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccines.
- MMRV: combination of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella vaccines.
Effectiveness
- MMR Single dose 93% effective.
- Two doses about 97% effective.
Usage
- Children: All children
should be vaccinated against measles. Two doses are usually
required: First one at 12-15 months of age, and a booster dose at
4-6 years of age. - Adults: Adults who are
unvaccinated and who had never had measles should receive at
least one dose of the vaccine (preferably two). High-risk people
like college students, international travelers, and health-care
workers should get two doses. The doses should be separated by a
period of at least 28 days. - Pregnant women:
All unvaccinated women planning to become pregnant should be
vaccinated at least 1 month before getting pregnant. The vaccine
should not be used during pregnancy. (Unprotected, pregnant women
should wait till they have given birth before getting MMR/MMRV
vaccine.)
Precautions
Should not be used in:
- Patients who had severe
allergic reaction to previous dose of MMR or MMRV vaccine, Neomycin,
Gelatin, or any other component of the vaccine. - Pregnant women.
- Patients with AIDS, Cancer or undergoing radiotherapy (MMRV Vaccine).
Consult before usage if:
- Patient has AIDS/HIV or another
immunodeficiency condition (MMR Vaccine). - History of seizures in the
concerned child or his siblings (MMRV Vaccine). - History of thrombocytopenia,
blood transfusion. - Acutely ill child (Vaccination
may be differed until the child is well).