M-M-R II

This leaflet answers some common questions about M-M-R II. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines and vaccines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you being given M-M-R II against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

You may need to read it again.

M-M-R II is a vaccine used to help protect people from getting measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). It can be given to people 12 - 15 months of age and older.

Protection against these infections is important as they can cause serious problems in some people.

Measles is a serious disease that causes a high fever (temperature), runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis and a rash. It usually lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks. It is very easily passed from one person to another in the tiny droplets of moisture which are expelled during coughing or sneezing. One out of every 10 children who catch measles will also have an ear infection or pneumonia. On rare occasions, measles can also cause an infection of the brain that could lead to seizures, hearing loss, mental retardation, and even death. Babies and adults who catch measles are often much sicker for a longer time or are more likely to die than school children and teenagers who catch measles.

Mumps causes fever, headache, and swollen, painful glands under the jaw (salivary glands) and usually lasts several days. It is easily passed from one person to another by the tiny droplets of moisture expelled during coughing or sneezing. Mumps can sometimes be a very serious disease, causing a mild inflammation of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) in about one person in every 10 who catch it. About one out of every 4 teenage or adult males with mumps will have a painful swelling of the testicles for several days. This does not usually affect their ability to father children, but can cause sterility in rare cases. Teenagers and adults, especially males, who catch mumps are often much sicker and more likely to suffer longer than children do.

Rubella is usually a mild disease that causes a mild fever, swollen glands in the neck, pain and swelling in the joints, and a rash that lasts for 2 or 3 days. Rubella is very dangerous if a pregnant woman catches it. Pregnant women who catch rubella can have babies who are stillborn, or have heart disease, blindness, deafness, or problems with learning. Rubella is also spread to others in the tiny droplets of moisture expelled during coughing or sneezing.

M-M-R II contains weakened strains of living measles, mumps and rubella viruses. These strains of live viruses cause either mild or no symptoms of infection. When injected the vaccine causes the body to produce its own protection by making disease-fighting substances (antibodies) against these infections. If a vaccinated child comes into contact with measles, mumps or rubella virus, the body is usually ready, and produces antibodies to destroy the virus. However, as with all vaccines, 100% protection against measles, mumps and rubella cannot be guaranteed. Also it may take up to 4-6 weeks for maximum protection to develop, so occasionally infections may occur during this time.

The chance of a severe reaction from M-M-R II is very small, but the risks from not being vaccinated are very serious.

Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, difficulty in breathing, or hives.

If the vaccine is used after the expiry date has passed, it may not work.

M-M-R II may not work as well as it should if you or your child are taking medicines that decrease the immune system, such as corticosteroids (eg. prednisone) or cyclosporin.

Your doctor will advise you if you are taking any of these or other medicines that decrease the immune system. Your doctor will decide whether or not to give the vaccine.

M-M-R II should be given one month before or after administration of other vaccines. However, other schedules have been used. Your doctor will decide the vaccination schedule.

The dose for children, teenagers and adults is 0.5 mL.

M-M-R II is usually injected just under the skin (subcutaneously) of the upper arm by a doctor or trained nurse.

The vaccine should not be injected directly into blood vessels (intravascularly).

M-M-R II is usually given once to people 12-15 months of age or older. If the vaccine is given to children younger than 12 months old, a second injection should be given on or after 15 months of age.

It is important for your child to have the follow-up dose of M-M-R II, if indicated, at the appropriate time to make sure the vaccine has the best chance of providing protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

If you miss a scheduled dose, talk to your doctor and arrange another visit as soon as possible.

M-M-R II helps protect most people from measles, mumps and rubella, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines and vaccines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

These are the more common side effects of M-M-R II. For the most part these have been mild. They usually improve or disappear within a few days.

These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.

These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.

Other side effects may also occur rarely and some of these may be serious. These include allergic reactions, seizures, and inflammation of the nervous system (brain and/or spinal cord).

As with all vaccines given by injection, there is a very small risk of a serious allergic reaction.

If you have these, you may have had a serious allergic reaction to M-M-R II. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. Most of these side effects occur within 15-30 minutes of vaccination, before you or your child leave the doctor's surgery or clinic.

Tell your doctor promptly about any of these or any other unusual symptoms. If the condition persists or worsens, seek medical attention.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You or your child may not experience any of them.

M-M-R II is usually stored in the doctor's surgery or clinic, or at the pharmacy. However if you need to store M-M-R II:

M-M-R II comes as white powder in glass vials. It is reconstituted with a special diluent to make a solution suitable for injection.

The active ingredients of M-M-R II are weakened strains of measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) viruses.

Inactive ingredients:

The manufacture of this product includes exposure to bovine derived materials. No evidence exists that any case of vCJD (considered to be the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy) has resulted from the administration of any vaccine product.