Immunizations - Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chickenpox)

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

Measles. Measles, one of the most contagious of all human infections, used to be a very common childhood disease. Most cases resolve without serious complications. In severe cases, however, measles can cause pneumonia, and in about 1 out of 1,000 cases it can lead to encephalitis (inflammation in the brain) or death. The risk for these severe complications is highest in the very young and very old. In pregnant women, measles increases the rates for miscarriage, low birth weight, and birth defects.

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Aggressive vaccination programs have reduced the incidence of measles in the U.S., to a low of 43 cases in 2007, most imported from other countries.

Mumps. Mumps is at record lows in the US, with 800 cases reported in 2007. In about 15% of cases, mumps affects the lining of the brain and spinal cord, although this is usually not ultimately harmful. Swelling of the testicles occurs in between 20 - 30% of males who have reached puberty, although sterility is rare. Deafness in one ear occurs in one patient out of 20,000 with mumps.

Click the icon to see an image of the meninges of the brain.

Rubella (German Measles). When rubella, commonly known as German measles, infects children or adults, it causes a mild illness that includes a rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and sometimes a fever. If a pregnant woman is infected during her first trimester, however, her baby has a 80% chance for developing birth defects, including heart abnormalities, cataracts, mental retardation, and deafness.

Click the icon to see an image of a cataract.

Before the vaccine became available, about 56,000 cases of rubella occurred annually in the U.S. Vaccination programs have dramatically reduced the number of cases to a low of 12 in 2007, but between 6 - 11% of adults are still susceptible, particularly unvaccinated Hispanic Americans who were born outside of the U.S.