Journal of Vaccine Research 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 287-296 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/jvr 292 Table 2 Frequency of adverse events per vaccine occurring within 10 days after the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine (Adopted from Santos et al., 2019) Adverse event MMR-Bio MMR-GSK p-value Nº* (%) Nº* (%) - Local - - - - - Pain 279 25.7 104 28.2 0.347 Edema 42 3.9 10 2.7 0.301 Redness 50 4.6 10 2.7 0.114 Secretion 11 1.0 4 1.1 1.00* Systemic - - - - - Irritability 325 29.9 101 27.4 0.351 Loss of appetite 477 43.9 157 42.5 0.907 Red spots on the skin 107 9.9 30 8.1 0.645 Sleepiness 498 45.9 162 43.9 0.328 Fever 307 28.3 100 27.1 0.666 Note: GSK: GlaxoSmithKline; *: number of participants (Adopted from Santos et al., 2019) 6.2 Rare adverse events Serious side effects from the MMR vaccine are very rare. Some children may have a febrile seizure (a seizure caused by fever), usually within 7 to 10 days after the first dose. This happens most often in children between 12 and 18 months of age. But the risk is low—about 0.4% according to different studies (Habib et al., 2023). Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, are also extremely rare. Recent studies did not find serious reactions like aseptic meningitis or anaphylaxis, which supports the good safety record of the vaccine (Platt et al., 2021). There have also been false claims that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Many large studies have proven that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism or other long-term developmental problems. Health experts continue to work on sharing correct information to help fight these myths and to keep vaccination rates high (La Torre et al., 2017; Yhu-Chering et al., 2019). 6.3 Balancing risks and benefits The benefits of the MMR vaccine are much greater than the small risk of side effects. The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella—diseases that can cause serious health problems or even death. Studies show that the MMR vaccine helps prevent hospital stays due to these diseases. It also lowers the risk of other infections, including some lung problems (La Torre et al., 2017). The long-term safety and strong immune response from the vaccine have been well-proven. Follow-up studies over many years show that the vaccine keeps working well, with no new safety concerns (Pebody et al., 2002; Prymula et al., 2021). Because of this, the MMR vaccine remains a key part of global health programs to control and eliminate these dangerous diseases. 7 Global Vaccination Status and Challenges 7.1 Global promotion of vaccination programs The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends giving two doses of the MMR vaccine to ensure strong and long-lasting protection. Many studies show that this two-dose plan works well to lower the number of measles, mumps, and rubella cases. In Finland, for example, a two-dose program with 97%-98% coverage helped eliminate these diseases completely (Davidkin and Valle, 1998). The combined MMRV vaccine (which also protects against varicella or chickenpox) has also been shown to give strong and long-term protection. In different countries, the vaccine’s protection against varicella ranges from 95.4% to 97.4% (Prymula et al., 2021). In developing countries, reaching high vaccination rates can be harder. Some places need special strategies. For example, in India, a study found that giving two early doses of the
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