Frequently Asked Questions about Measles Vaccine

• Measles is usually a self limiting disease but can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, blindness, encephalitis (brain infection) or even death.
• Vaccination is easy, inexpensive, safe and very effective at preventing disease.

• The measles vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, which means that it is a weakened version of the virus itself. The vaccine cannot cause disease but allows the body to prepare itself for a real infection.
• Immunity after vaccination is usually life-long.

• All children should be vaccinated at a young age, and the vaccine is included in the South African Expanded Programme on Immunizations (EPI) schedule. The vaccine is given at 9 months and repeated at 18 months of age.
• Older children, adolescents and adults may also be vaccinated during outbreaks of measles, particularly if they have a high-risk of developing complications.

• People who have had a life-threatening reaction after receiving a previous measles vaccine.
• Pregnant woman should generally not receive the vaccine and must take necessary precautions to prevent pregnancy until four weeks after immunization.
• Persons with severely compromised immune systems (including leukaemia & lymphoma and certain cancers) should not receive the vaccine.
• Persons receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy or high-dose corticosteroids should not receive the vaccine.
• Persons living with HIV are at risk for complications of measles and should therefore receive vaccine.
• If you are not sure whether you should be receiving the vaccine or not (due illness or chronic medication) please contact your doctor first.

• The most common side effects or adverse reactions are fever and a mild rash (which occurs in less than 5% of people). These are harmless side effects and do not last long.
• Serious side effects include allergic reactions but are very rare.

• www.who.int/immunization,
• www.vaccinesafety.edu
• www.cispmmunize.org