Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine

By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy

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The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.

I have two children. Emily is six and Eric is three. I am very lucky that they are both healthy. Some parents, especially some celebrities, blame their children’s illness on childhood vaccines. The affliction that gets mentioned most often is autism. I don’t know what causes autism. From the reading I have done, though, I don’t think vaccines are to blame. Yes, you can start sending your hate mail now. I had my own children immunized. As a parent and a healthcare professional, I firmly come down on the side of vaccinating children, unless the child’s doctor has a valid medical reason not to do so such as an allergy to the vaccine. The evidence I’ve read comes down overwhelmingly on the side of vaccines having a great many benefits and very few risks. I’ll talk briefly about why I don’t think the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine causes autism, and then let’s talk about what the MMR vaccine actually does.

Back in 1998 there was a study published in the Lancet by Dr. AJ Wakefield and colleagues. They looked at 12 children that had lost acquired skills like language. These children ranged in age from 3 to 10 years old and 11 were boys. So these children could have had Autism Spectrum Disorder, depending on how that is defined. Of these 12 children, eight of them had developed symptoms after the MMR vaccine as determined by the parents. So the controversy began.

What was wrong with people questioning MMR vaccine after those reports? Nothing, but the media didn’t pick up on the answers to those questions. The answer is at least a dozen studies looked for a connection between MMR and autism and found none. I’m not saying looking for the cause of autism isn’t important, but MMR seems to be a dead-end and scientists should look elsewhere.

The MMR vaccine prevents three different diseases, which are all caused by viruses. These three diseases have no effective treatments once a patient has the disease, but can be prevented by getting a vaccine before exposure to the virus.

Measles is not a deadly disease in most people. It causes a rash, fever, runny nose and cough that lasts one to two weeks. Why vaccinate against it then? Because large outbreaks of the disease usually happen in children. In a small percentage of these children an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord can occur and cause headaches, seizures, coma and/or long term brain disorders. In rare cases it can even cause death.

Mumps is an uncomfortable condition. It can cause painful, swollen saliva glands (usually in the cheeks) and fever. Painful inflammation of the testicles can occur in about 1 out of 4 boys beyond puberty and painful inflammation of the ovaries in out 5% of girls beyond puberty. Inflammation of the lining around the brain can happen in 10-30% of cases. Again brain lining inflammation (or meningitis) is a rare but serious possibility.

Rubella is an important disease to avoid during pregnancy, as it can damage the unborn baby. Rubella can cause brain damage, an unusually small head, deafness, heart defects, blindness, small eyes, diabetes or death in the unborn child. About 90% of women infected with rubella during the first trimester will have babies with problems. So it is important to try to protect all children at a young age from rubella so they don’t contract the disease when they get pregnant later in life or give the disease to a pregnant mother.

The MMR vaccine is very effective. It protects 94% of those immunized verses rubella, 81% verses mumps and 88% verses measles. Measles protection goes up to 99% after two vaccinations. Protection is believed to be lifelong in most people for all three diseases.

Anyone with a weakened immune system or has an allergy to any of the components of the vaccines shouldn’t be given the shot. These concerns should be discussed with your doctor.

Common side effects from the MMR vaccine include local reactions where the shot is given like redness, and swelling which goes away on its own. Pain and fever are also possible, but if they are mild they can be treated with Tylenol.

The MMR vaccine is usually given to children at age 1 and again at age 5.

As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.