Loading ...The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report minor side effects from the MMR-V and MMR vaccines to include low-grade fever, injection site redness or rash, pain at the injection site, and facial swelling. Moderate side effects include a full body rash, temporary low platelet count, temporary stiffness and pain the joints and seizures, and seizures. 1 2 MMR-V, however, has been noted to have a higher risk of seizures than separate administrations of MMR and varicella vaccines, especially when given as the first dose of the series.3 Rare serious side effects of both MMR-V and MMR include brain damage, coma, chronic seizure disorder, lowered level of consciousness and loss of hearing.4 5
Serious complications reported by Merck in the ProQuad(MMR-V) product insert during vaccine post-marketing surveillance include6:
- measles; [number one side effect]
- atypical measles;
- vaccine strain varicella;
- varicella-like rash;
- herpes zoster;
- herpes simplex;
- pneumonia and respiratory infection;
- pneumonitis;
- bronchitis;
- epididymitis;
- cellulitis;
- skin infection;
- subacute sclerosing panencephalitis;
- aseptic meningitis;
- thrombocytopenia;
- aplastic anemia (anemia due to the bone marrow’s inability to produce platelets, red and white blood cells);
- lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes);
- anaphylaxis including related symptoms of peripheral, angioneurotic and facial emema;
- agitation;
- ocular palsies;
- necrotizing retinitis (inflammation of the eye);
- nerve deafness;
- optic and retrobulbar neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve);
- Bell’s palsy (sudden but temporary weakness of one half of the face);
- cerebrovascular accident (stroke);
- acute disseminated encephalomyelitis;
- measles inclusion body encephalitis;
- transverse myelitis;
- encephalopathy;
- Guillain-Barré syndrome;
- syncope (fainting);
- tremor;
- dizziness;
- paraesthesia;
- febrile seizure;
- afebrile seizures or convulsions;
- polyneuropathy (dysfunction of numerous peripheral nerves of the body);
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome;
- Henoch-Schönlein purpura;
- acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy;
- erythema multiforme;
- panniculitis;
- arthritis;
- death