How to Identify Mumps Vaccine Side Effects

In 2006, there was a mumps outbreak among college students. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that the outbreak was due to a failure of the patients to complete a 2-dose cycle of the MMR vaccination. The MMR vaccination vaccinates against 3 diseases, including mumps. The side effects of the mumps vaccine is minuscule compared to the contraction of this preventable disease, especially once you are an adult.

Instructions

1. Check for a low grade fever, swelling of the glands and a rash around the injection area. These side effects will last between 7 to 12 days and are not dangerous. Contact your doctor if the side effects continue longer than 12 days.

2. Ascertain whether the mumps-vaccinated patient has soreness in the joints or if he or she is experiencing seizures. Seizures involve jerking motions of the patient's body or blank staring. Either can be signs that something is seriously wrong. The seizures are usually brought on because of a high temperature. Contact the doctor if an infant's temperature is over 100.4 degrees and if a child's temperature is over 104. Always contact the doctor if the child is seizing.

3. Determine whether the patient has a temporarily low blood platelet count. This is determined when there are other side effects to the mumps vaccine and the physician is doing a work-up on the patient. A low platelet count can cause a bleeding disorder and needs to be treated by a doctor.

4. Be aware of other severe, yet rare, side effects from the mumps vaccine. Deafness, long term seizures and brain damage are recorded side effects to the mumps vaccine. These are all due to a severe allergic reaction and not from the mumps itself. This is why it is important to contact the doctor if the patient is acting out of the ordinary or has symptoms come on rapidly after the vaccination is given.

Tips & Warnings

• Most people have more of the side effects discussed in Step 1 and few ever get to those listed in Step 4.