Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
Measles, mumps, and rubella were once very common diseases in the United States, but they have become rare because of the use of vaccines to prevent them. As with many other diseases, measles, mumps, and rubella generally are more severe in adults than in children. Most adults are immune to all three infections because they had them (or a vaccine) as children.
Everyone born in or after 1957 should have received at least one dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine sometime after their first birthday. Some adults - such as health care workers and people who travel out of the U.S. - may need a second dose. People born before 1957 may be vaccinated if they believe they've never had one of these diseases. There's no harm in receiving the vaccine if you already are immune to the infection.
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The information contained in these pages
is for educational / reference use only.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health
Graphics:
Public Domain
