Overview
The MMRV vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).
- Measles causes fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, commonly followed by a rash that covers the whole body and can lead to severe, long-lasting, and sometimes life-long consequences.
- Mumps causes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears. It can lead to deafness, swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord covering, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and, very rarely, death.
- Rubella causes fever, sore throat, rash, headache, and eye irritation. It can cause arthritis in up to half of teenage and adult women. If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or the baby could be born with serious birth defects.
- Varicella (chickenpox) causes an itchy rash, in addition to fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, and headache. It can lead to skin infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the blood vessels, swelling of the brain and/or spinal cord covering, and infection of the blood, bones, or joints.
Childhood Recommendations
MMRV may be given to children aged 12 months–12 years old.
The first dose is given between 12–15 months old and the second at 4–6 years old.
Instead of MMRV, some children get MMR and varicella separately.
Adult recommendations
MMRV is not approved for adults. If adults need immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella, they are advised to get the MMR vaccine.
Immunization schedules
Childhood schedules:
Adult schedule: