Immunizations - Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chickenpox)

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Vaccines for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

Safe and effective live-virus vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella have been developed over recent decades. They are usually combined in children as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and most recently include the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine as well (MMRV). Individual live-virus vaccines or the combined MMR may be given to adults, depending on their risk factors.

Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) or Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella (MMRV) Vaccine in Early Childhood. In September 2005, the combination vaccine MMRV including measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox) was licensed in the U.S. The vaccine has been under study due to reports of increased fevers post vaccination. The CDC concluded in June 2009 that the use of the combination MMRV or separate MMR and varicella vaccines are both safe and effective and either approach may be used. The combined MMR or MMRV vaccine should be given in two doses:

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• Between ages 12 and 15 months for the first dose
• Between ages 4 and 6 years for the second dose. (Children who receive only one dose at 15 months or older have five times the risk of measles compared to those who had two doses.)

Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine in Adolescents and Adults. The general recommendations for adult MMR vaccinations are as follows:

• Most people born before 1957 have experienced these once-common childhood diseases and do not require vaccination.
• All unvaccinated people born after 1956 who did not already have measles and mumps should be given two doses, administered at least 1 month apart, (adolescents) or 1 dose (adults) of the live MMR vaccine.
• Many people received an inactivated measles-virus vaccine in the early 1960s or an inactivated mumps-virus vaccine between 1950 and 1978; such people need revaccination with two doses of the live MMR vaccine. (This will cause no harm even if someone had a previous live-virus-mumps vaccination.)
• The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends the live-virus MMR vaccine for HIV-infected children, teenagers, and young adults, except for those who are severely immunocompromised. The vaccine appears to be safe in HIV-infected children, and it should be stressed that measles is very dangerous in this population.