| The
Diseases
- Measles.
Measles is one of the most serious of childhood diseases. It
can cause deafness, blindness, convulsions, other brain disorders
and death.
- Mumps. Mumps is a virus that causes pain
and swelling in the salivary glands of the face and neck. It
can cause deafness, muscle weakness, seizures, brain disorders
and painful testicular swelling in males.
- Rubella. Rubella or German measles is a common,
mild infection of childhood. However, a pregnant woman who catches
rubella is at much higher risk of giving birth to a child with
birth defects.
The Vaccine: The
vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella come as a combined vaccine.
They are highly effective against preventing disease.
Side effects
- Fever and a rash in 5 to 15 percent of children 1 to 2 weeks
after receiving the vaccine
- Joint aches in older children (1%)
- Mild fever after shot
- Brain inflammation (1 in 1,000,000)
- Swelling of neck glands (15%)
- Allergic reaction (rare)
For
more information on this vaccine, the Center for Disease Control
has a handout available- click here |