Measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine

Children

Children are offered the MMR vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age through the National Immunisation Program. The second dose at 18 months also includes the varicella vaccine to protect against chickenpox and so it is known as the MMRV vaccine. See the childhood immunisation schedule.

According to the Australian Immunisation Handbook, 2 doses of the MMR vaccine are recommended for everyone who does not have immunity against measles, mumps or rubella.

It is important that your child receives 2 doses of the MMR vaccine to be protected. It's never too late; older children are still eligible for the free vaccine if they haven't received it yet.

See your GP or immunisation provider if your child hasn't received their 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. Find out how to check your child's immunisation records.

Adults

The adult measles vaccination program is free for everyone born after 1965. (Most people born before 1966 are usually immune to measles because they had the disease as a child.)

You need two doses of the MMR vaccine (at least 1 month apart) for full protection against measles. Most people born after 1965 have already had one dose as a child but need a second dose.

You cancheck your immunisation record via myGov, or through your GP or Pharmacist, to find out if you have already had two doses of the MMR vaccine, or if you still need a second dose.

Note: While the vaccine is free, there may be a consultation fee.

Travelling overseas?

It is especially important to make sure you are fully vaccinated against measles before travelling internationally.

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening illness which is common in many countries outside of Australia. There are currently a number of measles outbreaks occurring overseas. Visit Smartraveller for more information on individual country advice.

Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease but you need to have 2 doses of the measles vaccine to be protected. Recent measles cases in WA have been traced back to people who travelled overseas and had only received one dose of the measles vaccine.

Infants aged under 12 months, who are travelling overseas to countries experiencing a measles outbreak can be vaccinated with a measles vaccine (MMR) from six months of age, after an individual risk assessment by their GP or immunisation provider. Measles vaccine may also be provided to infants between 6 and 12 months of age if they have recently been exposed to someone with measles while they were infectious.

However, if an infant receives an MMR vaccine early, they will still need another 2 doses of MMR after 12 months of age, as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook. They should receive the next dose of MMR vaccine at 12 months of age or 4 weeks after the 1^st dose, whichever is later. They should receive their final dose of measles-containing vaccine as MMRV vaccine at 18 months of age as routinely recommended.

Planning to get pregnant?

Measles can have serious complications, especially for pregnant women and their babies, such as miscarriage, early labour and stillbirth.

You can't have the measles vaccine during pregnancy – so to protect yourself and your baby, it's important to get vaccinated against measles at least 4 weeks before trying to get pregnant.

If you’re not sure if you've had two doses of the MMR vaccine, check your immunisation record or speak to your doctor.

How is the vaccine given?

One dose of the MMR vaccine is given when a child is 12 months.

This is followed up by an MMRV vaccination (MMR plus varicella), when the child is 18 months old.

If an individual is older than 18 months and has not been vaccinated against measles, it is recommended that they receive 2 MMR vaccine doses a minimum of 4 weeks apart.

Before being vaccinated, you must say if you:

• aren't feeling well (for example you have a fever)
• have any severe allergies (such as antibiotics, latex, gelatine)
• are pregnant or plan to get pregnant soon (refer to 'Pregnant women and the MMR vaccine' section below)
• have received another live vaccination in the last month
• have received blood, blood products or immunoglobulin in the last 3 months
• have a disease (for example HIV/AIDS or cancer) or having treatment that lowers immunity.

Pregnant women and the MMR vaccine

You should wait at least 4 weeks after having a MMR vaccine before trying to get pregnant to prevent any possible harm to your baby.

If you discover you are pregnant after having a MMR vaccine, discuss with your doctor. There are no known cases of the vaccine harming the developing baby, but doctors generally try not to give any live vaccines or medications during pregnancy. Having a MMR vaccine in early pregnancy is not a reason to terminate a pregnancy (have an abortion).

The MMR vaccine is safe, effective and has few side effects. Before vaccination, about 100 Australian children died each year from measles. Today, deaths from measles are rare.

Similarly, there are very few cases of birth defects from rubella in Australia today. Measles and rubella cases are now more common in young adults, the group least likely to have been vaccinated or to have had the diseases.

With MMR vaccination, some people get a few, temporary side effects such as fever with mild malaise and rash. These side effects are non-infectious and could last between 7 to 10 days.

There is also an increased risk for febrile seizures, mainly in children under 3. These are likely to occur 7 to 10 days after vaccination.

Few people are affected by the second dose.

Common side effects

• low-grade fever
• muscle aches
• soreness, swelling and redness and a small lump appearing at the injection site.

These symptoms normally occur soon after you received the vaccine, last 1 to 2 days, and resolve without requiring special treatment.

The following reactions may occur 5 to 12 days after the vaccination:

• high fever over 39 °C lasting 2 to 3 days
• faint red rash (not infectious)
• runny nose, cough and/or puffy eyes
• swelling of salivary glands
• drowsiness or tiredness.

Severe side effects

A severe reaction following the administration of MMR vaccine is very rare (less than 1 in 1 million doses administered).

The Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system is the central reporting service in WA for any significant adverse events following immunisation.

If you have experienced an adverse reaction to a vaccine:

• report it online at Western Australia Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) (external site)
• phone WAVSS on (08) 9321 1312 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 4.30pm.

Immunisations can be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) by your immunisation provider. You can check your immunisation history statement via myGov or through your GP or Pharmacist. Note that people born before 1989 may not be able to access their full records. Visit Immunisation records for more information.

If you are not sure if you have had two doses of measles vaccine and are not able to check your records, your immunisation provider may recommend for you to receive 2 doses of MMR, at least a month apart,

The MMR vaccine is available in metropolitan and country WA from immunisation providers including GPs, pharmacists, travel clinics and Aboriginal Medical Services and community health immunisation clinics.

For further information contact your immunisation provider.

Find out where you can get immunised.

How effective is the measles vaccine?

A single dose of MMR vaccine is approximately 93% effective against measles, 78% effective against mumps, and 90% effective against rubella. After a second MMR dose, protection increases to 97-99% against measles and 88% against mumps.

A second dose of MMR vaccine is recommended so that anyone who did not respond to the first vaccine is given a chance to develop protective immunity against the three viruses.

How long do measles vaccines last? Will I need a booster?

People who receive two doses of MMR are generally considered to have long-term protection against measles so there is no need for a booster dose.

Why don’t people born before 1966 need a measles vaccination?

Measles vaccination is not recommended for people born before 1966 because the virus circulated widely in the community prior to this time and most people would have acquired immunity from natural infection.

Why may people born between 1966 and 1994 not be fully vaccinated?

Measles vaccination with one dose was introduced in the late 1960s and measles cases dropped dramatically. In 1994, a second measles dose was added to the national childhood immunisation schedule to increase the level of measles protection in the community.

People born between 1966 and 1994 are considered at a greater risk of measles because they are less likely to have had a measles vaccine or have only received one dose.

If you're in this age group and not sure if you have had two measles doses you should check with your GP. It's safe to have another measles vaccine dose if you're not sure.

If you have not had any measles vaccinations, then you should have two doses given at least four weeks apart.

How can I check if I have had a measles vaccine in the past?

You can check for your immunisation records on theAustralian Immunisation Register (AIR). The AIR is a national register that can record vaccines given to people of all ages in Australia.

This includes all vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program, such as school-based vaccines and most privately funded vaccines such as influenza and travel vaccines. You can access the AIR by logging into your myGov account.

Unfortunately, measles vaccinations given prior to 1994 are less likely to be recorded on the AIR.  You may wish check your hard copy vaccination records including those that might be with your parents. You can also check with the GP or other immunisation provider where you had your vaccinations.

Is it safe to get a measles vaccine when you can’t remember if you have had one before?

It is safe to have another MMR vaccine unless you are someone who should not normally have an MMR vaccine.

Can infants under 12 months be vaccinated for measles if they are travelling overseas?

Infants travelling overseas to countries experiencing a measles outbreak can be vaccinated with an MMR vaccine from six months of age. Measles vaccine may also be provided to infants between six and 12 months of age if they have recently been exposed to someone with measles while they were infectious.

It is important to remember that if an infant receives an MMR vaccine early (that is, before 12 months of age) they still need to have another two doses of MMR. They should receive the next dose of MMR vaccine at 12 months of age or four weeks after the first dose, whichever is later. The second MMR dose is given at 18 months of age.

General information about staying safe from measles while travelling is available on the following websites: Smartraveller and healthdirect (under travel vaccinations).