MMR, measles, mumps and rubella vaccine

Measles is a very infectious viral illness that is spread by coughs and sneezes. Symptoms of measles include fever, sore red eyes, and rash. It can be a very serious infection for some people.

Some groups are at higher risk for complications, such as people with weak immune systems, babies under one year, and pregnant women. Possible complications include chest and ear infections, seizures, diarrhea, encephalitis (brain infection), and brain damage. Those who develop complications may need to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

Mumps is a viral illness that is spread by coughs and sneezes or close contact with someone who already has the infection.  Symptoms of mumps usually last around two weeks and can include headache and fever but the most common symptom is swelling of the glands at the side of the face. This can give you the appearance of having a ‘hamster face’ and can cause pain and difficulty swallowing. 

Complications of mumps can be very painful and can include inflammation of the ovaries or testicles, and in rarer cases, the pancreas. Mumps can also cause viral meningitis and encephalitis (infection of the brain). Although permanent hearing loss after mumps is rare, around one in 20 people infected may have temporary hearing loss. 

There is currently no medication to cure mumps so treatment is focused on relieving symptoms. If you develop mumps you will need some bed rest, painkillers and need to eat soft foods that do not require a lot of chewing. Most cases of mumps now occur in young adults who haven’t had 2 doses of MMR vaccine. 

​Rubella is a viral illness, often called German measles, that is now rare in the UK thanks to the success of the MMR vaccine. It is spread in a similar way to mumps and measles. For most people, it is usually a mild condition that gets better in 7 to 10 days without treatment. However, if pregnant women develop rubella it can be very serious for their unborn baby.​

​Symptoms of rubella include a rash, cold-like symptoms, and aching joints.​

​Complications of rubella are rare but if a pregnant woman catches rubella during pregnancy, there can be devastating consequences for her unborn baby which could lead to the baby being born with cataracts (eye problems), deafness, heart problems or brain damage.​

The MMR vaccine is administered into the thigh of young children or the upper arm of older children or adults. It is a live vaccine which means that it contains weakened versions of measles, mumps and rubella viruses. These have been weakened enough to produce immunity without causing disease.​

The MMR vaccine gives long lasting protection with two doses of the vaccine. The first dose is usually given at the age of 12 months and the second dose is given at around three years and four months, before starting school.

Having both doses gives long lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella. In adults and older children the 2 doses can be given with a one month gap between them.​

Some people may get a rash that looks like a mild form of measles, the face may swell to look like mumps or they may have pains in the joints like rubella. These side effects occur in a small percentage of people after the first dose.

The side effects from the measles part of the vaccine are usually seen when the vaccine starts to work – around 6 to 10 days after vaccination. Swelling of the face or joint pains tend to come on around 2 to 3 weeks after vaccination when the mumps and rubella vaccines start to work.

Side effects such as a rash or neck swelling only last for around 2 to 3 days and are not infectious. This means that if you do develop these side effects, you cannot pass on the infection to others. On rare occasions, a reddish-purple rash that looks like tiny bruises can occur up to 6 weeks following vaccination.

If your child feels unwell after the vaccine, you can give them over the counter pain relief. 

The MMR vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself against measles, mumps and rubella. Since the vaccine was introduced in 1988, these conditions have become rare in the UK. However, outbreaks of disease, especially measles, have occurred when the number of people having the vaccine has dropped. If you are unsure whether you have previously had the vaccine or not, you can check with your GP. Having further doses will not cause any harm.

The combined MMR vaccine has been safely protecting children for many years in many countries worldwide. There may be some side effects from vaccination, they are usually mild and much less severe than the disease itself. Serious reactions following vaccination are rare.

The evidence is clear that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

As the MMR vaccine is a live vaccine it should not be given to pregnant women or people who are severely immunosuppressed, for example those who have had a bone marrow transplant or are taking immunosuppressant medicines.

If you have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to neomycin you should not have the vaccine. If you have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to gelatine you should speak to your GP and arrange to have the gelatine-free vaccine.