Contents:
- Medical Video: India's Measles-Rubella vaccine campaign: What you need to know
- What is the MR vaccine?
- Who needs to receive the MR vaccine?
- Is MR vaccination safe?
- Are there any side effects of rubella and measles vaccine (MR vaccine) that might occur afterwards?
- It is not true that the MR vaccine can cause paralysis and autism
- Not everyone can receive the MR vaccine
- Follow the Indonesian government's MR vaccine campaign to prevent rubella measles
Medical Video: India's Measles-Rubella vaccine campaign: What you need to know
Rubella, or commonly called German measles, is an infectious disease caused by a virusrubella. The main symptoms of rubella are mild fever and red spots on the skin. According to a report from the Indonesian Ministry of Health in 2016, there were 8,185 cases of German measles in Indonesia in 2015. Rubella often occurs in infants and children who have not or are not immunized. There is no treatment for measles and rubella, but this disease can be prevented by the measles-rubella vaccine, aka the MR vaccine.
Unfortunately, there are still many parents who refuse their children to be immunized because they are afraid of the risk of side effects of the rubella vaccine which they say can cause paralysis and even autism. Is that true? HelloSehat mengcomplete all the facts about the risks of the side effects of the rubella vaccine in this article.
What is the MR vaccine?
MR vaccine is a type of immunization that functions to protect the body from two diseases at once - measles (Measles) and German measles (Rubella). Indeed, the MR vaccine is part of the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), but in Indonesia the Mumps vaccine is intentionally separated from the two.This is done because Mumps aka mumps is rare among Indonesians.
Meanwhile, measles (both "ordinary" measles and German measles rubella) is still very common in children.German measles also requires extra attentionif the sufferer is a pregnant woman. In women who are still pregnant, rubella can cause miscarriage, infant mortality in the womb, and congenital abnormalities in infants.
Then,MR vaccines need to be given to children to prevent these two diseases, also to prevent their spread to other children.
Who needs to receive the MR vaccine?
The MR vaccine is given to all children aged 9 months to less than 15 years during the MR vaccination campaign. Later, health workers will inject vaccines into the child's upper arm or thigh muscles.
For children who have previously been vaccinated against measles, this MR vaccination still needs to be given. Its function so that your child also gets immunity to rubella. In addition to children, this vaccine is also recommended for women who want to plan a pregnancy.
Is MR vaccination safe?
Based on the release of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the MR vaccine used in Indonesia has received a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) and marketing authorization from the POM. So, MR vaccination is safe. This vaccine has in fact been used in more than 141 countries of the world.
Are there any side effects of rubella and measles vaccine (MR vaccine) that might occur afterwards?
Generally MR vaccines do not have significant side effects. Even if there are, the side effects tend to be general and mild, such as fever, skin rash, or pain in the injection skin area. This is a normal reaction and will disappear within 2-3 days.
In very rare cases, a child can also experience an allergic reaction as a side effect of rubella and measles vaccine. Immunization or vaccination is an act of giving substances derived from germs, both dead and weakened.
It is expected that by giving this vaccine, the body's defense system recognizes the germ, so that the body can handle it if one day it becomes infected. In some children who are more sensitive, maybe they will show severe allergic reactions from the fluids contained in the vaccine.
In the medical world, this condition is called anaphylaxis. However, if this condition is immediately addressed, the child will immediately improve. That's why, even though it's safe, it's better to consult your doctor first to avoid the risk of allergic reactions as a side effect of rubella and measles vaccine.
It is not true that the MR vaccine can cause paralysis and autism
It is not true that paralysis and / or autism can appear as a side effect of the rubella-measles vaccine (MR vaccine), as well as other types of immunization. Allegations of immunization causing autism and paralysis have been broken by so many world health experts. Need to be straightened out, sfor now there is no real medical evidence that can prove if immunization can cause both conditions.
In a handful of cases, the appearance of paralysis or autism after immunization is merely a coincidence. And if this is true, the doctor is able to find the original cause of the disease suffered by the patient through various laboratory tests. It can be ascertained that vaccination is not one of the causes of autism or paralysis in children.
Not everyone can receive the MR vaccine
To be aware of the unwanted complications of the rubella-measles vaccine (MR vaccine), you should not first give MR injections to the following groups of people.
- Children or adults who are radiotherapy or taking certain drugs such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.
- Pregnant women (but women planning to become pregnant are strongly recommended for MR immunization).
- Leukemia, severe anemia and other blood disorders.
- Severe kidney function abnormalities.
- After blood transfusion.
- History of allergies to vaccine components (neomicyn).
- In addition, the administration of MR vaccines should be delayed if the patient is experiencing a fever, cold, or diarrhea (in an unhealthy condition).
Follow the Indonesian government's MR vaccine campaign to prevent rubella measles
To reduce the incidence of German measles in Indonesia, the government is currently running an MR vaccine immunization program throughout the monthAugust to September. Especially for babies, toddlers, children and pregnant women who are most susceptible to infection with this disease. Don't be afraid to imagine the risk of rubella and measles side effects, because it has been proven to be untrue.
Come on, don't hesitate to register your child or yourself to participate in immunization at the nearest health center or health clinic. The benefits remain far greater than the possibility of side effects that will not necessarily occur. Provision of vaccines is basically one way to protect personal health in the future.
