your four-month vaccinations. Your
nurse will give you more information
about paracetamol at your vaccination
appointment and you may be given
a leaflet to take away with you with
written instructions.
After vaccination with MMR
MMR is made up of three different
vaccines (measles, mumps and rubella)
and these can each cause reactions at
different times after the injection.
After six to ten days, the measles
vaccine starts to work and may
cause a fever, a measles-like rash,
and loss of appetite. Individuals with
vaccine-associated symptoms are not
infectious to others.
Two to three weeks after the injection,
the mumps vaccine may cause mumps-
like symptoms in some children (fever
and swollen glands).
The rubella vaccine may cause a
brief rash and possibly a slightly raised
temperature, most commonly around
12 to 14 days after the injection, but
a rash may also rarely occur up to
six weeks later.
If you are worried about your child,
trust your instincts. Speak to your
doctor or call the NHS on 111.
Call the doctor immediately if, at any
time, your child has a temperature of
39-40°C or above, or has a fit.
If the surgery is closed and you can’t
contact your doctor, trust your instincts
and go to the nearest hospital with an
emergency department.
If, after having read this leaflet, you
are still not happy with your baby’s
reaction to any vaccination, speak
to your practice nurse or GP.
Checking on vaccine safety
Before vaccines are introduced, they
have to be licensed by the Medical
and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency which assesses their safety
and efficacy.
Once they have been introduced into
the programme, their safety continues
to be constantly monitored so that any
new side effects are quickly noticed
and investigated.
If you would like more information
on the safety of vaccines visit
www.mhra.gov.uk.
More information
If you would like more information
on the side effects of vaccines and
vaccinations, pick up the booklet
A guide to immunisations up to
13 months of age from your surgery
or go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/
vaccinations.
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If you do not have any paracetamol liquid for infants at home you
should get some in time for your first vaccination visit. It is widely
available from pharmacies and supermarkets.
Remember, never give
medicines that contain aspirin
to children under 16.