A case of the measles is almost unheard of these days, largely due to the common vaccinations given to children. The measles, mumps, rubella shot, otherwise referred to as the MMR vaccine, is tremendously effective when it comes to preventing these illnesses. Unfortunately, the vaccination isn't an easy one for most kids to take, and often produces significantly unpleasant side effects, such as allergies, fever, glandular swelling, mild rash and stiffness of joints and muscles, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are even more severe side effects such as seizure, low blood platelet count and even potentially permanent brain damage.
The very real risks associated with measles
Despite the risks, most medical professionals agree that the risks associated with the shot are less dangerous than the side effects associated with the actual diseases, which are often deadly. According to the CDC, 3 to 4 million individuals were affected by measles annually in the decade before the vaccination was developed. Nearly 50,000 people were hospitalized each year, and approximately 500 of those who were infected died from the disease. A further 1,000 individuals developed chronic disability. The vaccination reduced these instances by 99 percent in the U.S. In 2012, only 55 cases of measles were reported.
Despite the progress seen by the U.S., many other countries still experience measles as a daily reality. Measles is highly contagious and able to spread very quickly. The CDC estimated that there were approximately 164,000 measles-related deaths worldwide in the year 2008, which amounts to 450 deaths per day and 18 per hour.
New hope for MMR vaccinations
Though the vaccinations are incredibly effective against the development of measles, many parents have trepidations about giving their children the shot due to the potentially harmful side effects. Fortunately, a new study provides new hope, finding that the side effects of the vaccination can be decreased by exposing young children to the vaccination earlier.
While most doctors recommend children receive the vaccination between 12 and 15 months of age, most children actually receive the shot between 12 and 23 months of age – and most receive the vaccination around 19 months. However, researchers from Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Institute for Health Research found that the immunization has the least potential for side effects when administered between the ages of 12 and 15 months.
Researchers looked at the data records of 840,000 children between the ages of 12 and 23 months who received the vaccine in the years between 2001 and 2011. They noted that, in the 10 days after vaccination, most children were likely to exhibit symptoms such as fever and seizure. However, the risk was significantly lower in those between the ages of 12 and 15 months than it was in those between the ages of 16 and 23 months. Instances of fever generally dropped off after 12 to 13 days. Researchers also noted that seizures were particularly prevalent in children between 16 and 18 months of age.
Rates of fever dropped steadily, however, 12 to 13 days after the first dose of the vaccine for children between 19 months and 23 months of age. Seizures, the study revealed, were most prevalent among children between 16 months and 18 months of age.
"We found that the magnitude of increased risk of fever and seizures following immunization with measles-containing vaccines during the second year of life depends on age," study lead author Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., said in a news release.
The study shows that parents shouldn't shy away from having their children vaccinated sooner rather than later, as most doctors recommend. Parents should always follow the recommendations of their pediatrician when it comes to medicating their children.
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