MMR Full Form

Measles is an extremely communicable viral disease that is common among children in particular. It is known to be one of the most common causes of disability or death, in several cases, among children. Every year, on the 16th of March, Measles Immunization Day is celebrated across India.  This was a measure taken by the Indian government for creating awareness in the minds of people about this deadline disease and why it is important for parents to get their children vaccinated. Besides, the government, through various of the primary healthcare centres across the country, creates awareness programs to help parents understand ways and methods to effectively deal with the disease, in case of having children affected with the same.

Measles – Treatment and Vaccination

According to the National Health Portal of India’s statistics for the year 2017, 85% of children around the world were known to have received at least a single dose of measles vaccine by the time they reached their first birthday, while 67% of children received a second dose.  The vaccine doses were provided through the routine health services.

It has been reported that the MMR vaccination led to an 80 % drop in deaths caused by this health condition between the year 2000 and 2017 globally, which indicates that approximately 21.1 million lives were saved during this period, eventually making the MMR vaccine one of the most sought-after ones in the area of public health.

Currently, there is no designated treatment that is available for treating this health condition.  However, there are vaccines that help in protecting children from falling prey to this highly contagious disease.

Besides, the vaccine is not only safe, but also highly economical so as to suit people from all social classes of the society.  Young children, to whom the MMR vaccine is not administered, are believed to be at increased risk of falling prey to this disease, the complications of which include disability or even death in a few cases.

MMR Vaccine

The Serum Institute of India (SII) is the key manufacturer of the MMR vaccine in India.  The vaccine is administered to offer immunization against diseases like Measles and Rubella, which is a common ailment in many infants and young children of various age groups.

The vaccine is administered in the form of a subcutaneous injection, meaning it is given by pinching and holding a particular area of the skin and then pierce the injection.

Dosage Details

The first dosage of the MMR vaccine is usually administered for children aged between 12 months and 10 years.  The second dose can be given during the elementary school age, meaning between the ages 4 and 6.

Efficacy of the MMR Vaccine

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the administration of MMR vaccine for young children in India is known to have resulted in an evident decline in the occurrence of diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella.   In fact, the ICMR states that more than 95% of children having received the MMR vaccine are likely to be safeguarded from measles, mumps, and rubella, for their entire lifetime.  That is the kind of efficiency with which the MMR vaccine works.

MMR Vaccine – Likely Side-effects

Although the occurrence is in rare cases, the MMR vaccine can result in various forms of allergic reactions in some children to whom the vaccine is given.  Other allergic indications like rashes on the skin, mild to moderate level of fever, seizures, little amount of pain in the joints, swelling in the cheeks, etc., can also be a result of the vaccine in children.

Conclusion

Measles is known to be a highly communicable viral disease that is common in infants and young children of different age groups. It is one of the most common causes of disability or death, in several cases, among children.  MMR vaccine is the one that protects children from falling prey to this deadly viral disease and it is the only route of prevention as there is no designated medicine that can cure this disease.  The vaccine is administered to offer immunization against not only Measles, but also other common diseases like Mumps and Rubella, which is a common ailment in many infants and young children of various age groups.