Keep your child safe.
Get all vaccines on time.
By getting all vaccines on time, your child can be protected from many diseases over a lifetime.
Immunization has saved more lives in Canada in the last 50 years than any other health measure.
The MMR vaccine protects against:
The MMR vaccine contains weakened forms of the measles, mumps and rubella viruses and is approved by Health Canada. It is free as part of your child's routine immunizations. You can get the vaccine from public health units or community health centres, nursing stations, some doctors' offices, travel health clinics and pharmacies. Pharmacies can only provide the vaccine to people 4 years of age and older.
The MMR vaccine is given to children as a series of 2 doses. The first dose is given at 12 months of age and the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. For children who also need protection against chickenpox (varicella), the second dose of vaccine can be given as the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
For more information about the MMRV vaccine, please visit HealthLinkBC File #14e Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
The vaccine is given at the same time as other childhood immunizations.
| MMR vaccine | Child's age at immunization |
| 1st dose | 12 months |
| 2nd dose | 4 to 6 years |
The MMR vaccine is also provided free of charge to the following people:
It is recommended that people born in 1970 or later (1957 for health care workers) get 2 doses of the vaccine. This is especially important for travellers. Most people born before 1970 are not eligible for the MMR vaccine as they will have had measles and mumps disease when they were younger and will be protected from past infection.
It is important to keep a record of all immunizations received.
The MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against measles, mumps and rubella, which are serious and sometimes fatal diseases.
When you get immunized, you help protect others as well.
Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get measles, mumps or rubella.
Common reactions to the vaccine may include soreness, redness and swelling where the vaccine was given. Fever, headache, muscle soreness, nausea, a rash that looks like measles, and swelling of glands in the cheeks or neck can occur about 7 to 12 days after getting the vaccine. Temporary joint pain may occur in teenage and adult women. Reactions are less frequent after the second dose of vaccine.
Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®) or ibuprofen* (e.g., Advil®) can be given for fever or soreness. ASA (e.g., Aspirin®) should not be given to anyone under 18 years of age due to the risk of Reye syndrome.
*Ibuprofen should not be given to children under 6 months of age without first speaking to your health care provider.
For more information on Reye syndrome, see HealthLinkBC File #84 Reye syndrome.
Rarely, more serious reactions can include seizures caused by fever (about one child in 3,000), a temporary drop in the blood cells that help prevent bleeding (about one person in 30,000), and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain (about one person in one million). Encephalitis is much more common from measles, about one in 1,000, than the vaccine.
It is important to stay in the clinic for 15 minutes after getting any vaccine. There is an extremely rare possibility of a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This happens in less than one in a million people who get the vaccine. Symptoms may include hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the throat, tongue or lips. If this reaction occurs, your health care provider is prepared to treat it. Emergency treatment includes administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) and transfer by ambulance to the nearest emergency department. If symptoms develop after you leave the clinic, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
Always report serious or unexpected reactions to your health care provider.
Speak with your health care provider if you or your child:
There is no need to delay getting immunized because of a cold or other mild illness. However, if you have concerns, speak with your health care provider.
Measles, mumps and rubella are diseases caused by viruses. The viruses are easily spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can become infected when you breathe in this air or touch a surface contaminated with the viruses. The viruses can also spread through contact with an infected person's saliva when sharing food, drinks, cigarettes or by kissing.
Measles causes fever, a rash, cold-like symptoms and red, inflamed eyes that can be sensitive to light. It can lead to infections of the ear or lungs (pneumonia). More serious complications such as encephalitis can occur in one in 1,000 people. Encephalitis can lead to seizures, deafness or permanent brain damage. About one person in 3,000 with measles can die from complications.
Mumps causes fever, headache and swelling of the salivary glands and cheeks. More serious complications include encephalitis. About one in 20 people with mumps get mumps meningitis, an infection of the lining of the brain. Mumps can also cause temporary deafness. Permanent deafness occurs in less than one in 20,000 people with mumps. Adults and teens with mumps can have painful swelling of the testicles (about one in 4 cases) or ovaries (about one in 20 cases).
Rubella can cause serious complications and birth defects in an unborn baby. These defects include deafness, eye problems, heart defects, liver damage, and brain damage. This is called congenital rubella syndrome. It occurs in about 9 out of 10 babies born to people who become infected with the virus in the first 3 months of their pregnancy. Rubella can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
These diseases are now rare in B.C. because of routine childhood immunization programs.
It is recommended that parents or guardians and their children discuss consent for immunization. Children under the age of 19, who are able to understand the benefits and possible reactions for each vaccine and the risk of not getting immunized, can legally consent to or refuse immunizations. For more information on mature minor consent please visit HealthLinkBC File #119 The Infants Act, Mature Minor Consent and Immunization.
For more information on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, please visit the following HealthLinkBC Files:
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