Side Effects of MMR Vaccine in Children

MMR vaccines involve use of injections containing the weakened form of the viruses responsible for causing measles, mumps and rubella. Infants or children receiving this vaccine get immunized from these three illnesses. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every child aged between 1 year and 12 years should receive the MMR vaccine. Like most other types of immunizations, MMR vaccines can also cause certain side effects.

Mild fever is common among children receiving this vaccine. According to recently obtained statistics, 1 in every 6 individuals immunized with MMR vaccine experiences this side effect. Some other milder after effects of MMR vaccine administration include swelling accompanied by minor rashes in the glands of the child’s neck and cheeks. These rashes usually appear within 7-12 hours of receiving the MMR injection. This vaccination might make the child fussy and it might become extremely difficult to put him to sleep. The injection site might become tender and painful. All these signs usually do not last for more than 48 hours of receiving the vaccine.

A child vaccinated with MMR injection can also suffer from high fever leading to seizures. There are instances when the toddlers receiving the vaccine have experienced temporary stiffness and pain in their joints. You may find your walking toddler limping after the vaccination; temporary paralysis is also a possibility, but occurs extremely rarely. Besides all these side effects, on rare occasions (found in 1 in every 30,000 recipients of MMR vaccine) a child receiving the MMR vaccine can exhibit temporary decrease in his platelet count, which eventually cause bleeding disorder.

If a child is allergic to MMR vaccine, he is likely to experience some serious side effects after receiving the MMR vaccine. Some examples of allergic effects of the vaccine are: appearance of hives, breathing difficulties, swelling on body parts like throat, tongue, lips and face, deafness, prolonged episodes of seizures etc. There are also instances when such situations have lead to coma or permanent damage to the brain.

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