Measles, Mumps & Rubella
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Measles
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Measles, also called rubeola is a viral infection that’s serious for small children but is easily preventable by a vaccine. The disease spreads through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing. |
- Preventable by vaccines
- Treatable by a medical professional
- Requires a medical diagnosis
- Lab tests or imaging often required
- Spreads easily
- Short-term: resolves within days to weeks
How it spreads
- By mother to baby by pregnancy, labor, or nursing
- By airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes)
- By saliva (kissing or shared drinks)
- By skin-to-skin contact (handshakes or hugs)
- By touching a contaminated surface (blanket or doorknob)
Symptoms
Measles symptoms don’t appear until 10-14 days after exposure. They include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.
- Pain areas: in the muscles
- Whole body: fever, malaise, fatigue, or loss of appetite
- Also common: skin rash, dry cough, pink eye, diarrhea, headache, koplik’s spots, sensitivity to light, sore throat, or swollen lymph nodes
Treatment
Treatment consists of preventative measures, there’s no treatment to get rid of an established measles infection, but over-the-counter fever reducers or vitamin A may help with symptoms.
- Preventative:
- MMR Vaccine: A combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella
- Medications:
- Analgesic: Relieves pain
- Specialists:
- Pediatrician: Provides medical care for infants, children and teenagers
- General Practitioner (GP): Prevents, diagnoses and treats diseases
- Infectious Disease Doctor: Treats infections, including those that are tropical in nature
For more information
For technical information or information about vaccines
Mumps
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Mumps, also called parotitis is a viral infection that affects the salivary glands that’s easily preventable by a vaccine. It affects the parotoid glands, salivary glands below and in front of the ears. |
- Preventable by vaccine
- Treatable by a medical professional
- Requires a medical diagnosis
- Lab tests or imaging often required
- Spreads easily
- Short-term: resolves within days to weeks
How it spreads
- By airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes)
- By saliva (kissing or shared drinks)
- By touching a contaminated surface (blanket or doorknob)
Symptoms
Some people experience no symptoms, when symptoms occur; they include swollen, painful salivary glands, fever, headache, fatigue and loss of appetite.
- Pain areas: in the abdomen, muscles, neck, pelvis, or testicle
- Whole body: chills, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, or malaise
- Throat: difficulty swallowing or soreness
- Also common: dry mouth, headache, hearing loss, neck swelling, swollen lymph nodes, or swollen salivary glands
Treatment
Treatment focuses on symptom relief, recovery takes about two weeks. The disease can be prevented by the MMR vaccine.
- Self-care:
- Bed rest: Reducing activity for a short period of time following injury or illness to promote healing.
- Medications:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug: Relieves pain, decreases inflammation and reduces fever
- Analgesic: Relieves pain
- Preventative:
- MMR Vaccine: A combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella
- Specialists:
- Infectious Disease Doctor: Treats infections, including those that are tropical in nature
- Pediatrician: Provides medical care for infants, children and teenagers
- General Practitioner (GP): Prevents, diagnoses and treats diseases
For more information
For technical information or information about vaccines
Rubella
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Rubella, also called German measles is a contagious viral infection preventable by vaccine and best known by its distinctive red rash. The disease can be spread through direct contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person or through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing. |
- Preventable by vaccine
- Treatment can help, but this condition can’t be cured
- Requires a medical diagnosis
- Lab tests or imaging often required
- Spreads easily
- Short-term: resolves within days to weeks
How it spreads
- By airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes)
- By saliva (kissing or shared drinks)
- By mother to baby by pregnancy, labor, or nursing
Symptoms
Symptoms often appear two to three weeks after exposure and also include mild fever and headache.
- Whole body: fever or malaise
- Also common: enlarged neck lymph nodes, eye redness, headaches, red rashes, or runny nose
Treatment
Treatments depends on severity. There is no treatment to get rid of an established infection, but medications may help with symptoms. Vaccination can help prevent the disease.
- Supportive care:
- Can be self-healing: Condition usually improves over time without treatment
- Preventative:
- MMR Vaccine: A combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella
- Medications:
- Analgesic: Relieves pain
- Specialists:
- Infectious Disease Doctor: Treats infections, including those that are tropical in nature
- Pediatrician: Provides medical care for infants, children and teenagers
- Emergency Medicine Doctor: Treats patients in the emergency department
For more information
For technical information or information about vaccines
MMR Vaccine
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Vaccine (PDF file, 294.0 KB) can protect children (and adults) from all three of these diseases. All persons born during or since 1966 who are 18 months or older should have documented evidence of 2 doses of MMR-containing vaccine (administered at least 4 weeks apart) or have serological evidence of protection for measles, mumps and rubella. MMR vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines.
Please let us know if you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic neomycin, or any other component of MMR vaccine. Anyone who had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of MMR or MMRV vaccine should not get another one.
Please discuss with the Doctor if you:
- have HIV/AIDS, or another disease that affects the immune system
- are being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, such as steroids
- have any kind of cancer
- are being treated for cancer with radiation or drugs
- have ever had a low platelet count (a blood disorder)
- have had another vaccine within the past 4 weeks
- have recently had a transfusion or received other blood products
MMR vaccine is a live vaccine, meaning it cannot be administered to pregnant women and it cannot be given if you have already received another live vaccine within 28 days.
Dosage and Administration
The dose of MMR vaccine is 0.5mL to be given by subcutaneous injection.
What do you have to do?
Book in to consult one of our Doctors today if you have any symptoms or if you would like the vaccine.