Rubella vaccination is considered safe by the medical community, with the benefits outweighing the risks for those who meet the criteria. Concerns about the safety of MMR vaccination have been discredited, and thimerosal is no longer used in most countries. Pregnant women and those with certain conditions should not receive the vaccine. The most common side effects are mild and rare negative effects have been reported.
The rubella immunization or vaccination, which is usually given with other measles and mumps (MMR) vaccines, is considered safe by the medical community when used as directed, although no vaccination can ever be considered 100% safe. There are some populations that should not receive this vaccination, but in appropriate populations the likelihood of a negative reaction is small. In medical terms, the benefits far outweigh the risk for people who meet the vaccination criteria.
In the late 20th century, there was a deep and growing concern about the safety of MMR vaccination, most notably with the 1998 publication in the respected British medical journal, The Lancet, of an article postulating a direct link between vaccinations and autism. This study, which has since been discredited and removed from the medical journal, featured falsified research, as is now fully known. Also, as vaccination rates have declined, there has not been a corresponding decline in autism; on the contrary, rates have continued to rise.
One cause for concern was the ingredient thimerosal, which contains mercury, which has been added as a preservative to vaccines in some countries. In most places such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, immunization against rubella no longer contains this additive. There has never been strong evidence that its presence creates autism or any other ailment, but it has been determined that reducing exposure to a known poison is clinically reasonable.
There are real concerns about the safety of rubella immunization when used in certain populations. Pregnant women should never use this vaccination because it can expose the fetus to rubella infection and can cause fetal death or a number of serious birth defects. Women who are thinking of becoming pregnant should be checked to see if they have immunity to rubella, which can be established with a blood test. If they are not immune, they should have the vaccine before becoming pregnant and wait at least three months before attempting to conceive. Contracting rubella, due to lack of immunity during pregnancy, also puts the life and safety of the fetus at risk.
In other cases rubella immunization is not safe to use and these include the following:
Moderate to severe illness on the day of vaccination
Strong reaction/allergy to MMR in the past
Receipt of blood products with antibodies within the past year
immunodeficiency
Thrombocytopenia
Allergy to any of the materials (such as latex) in the shot.
If patients do not have a condition that contraindicates the use of rubella immunization, doctors advise them to do so. Generally, rubella is not a fatal condition, unless contracted by a pregnant woman or someone with reduced immunity. Measles can be fatal and mumps can cause male infertility. The most common side effects of MMR are several days of pain, fever, rash and joint pain. Longer-lasting joint pain occurs in about 0-3% of children and about 10-25% of adult women. A few other negative effects for MMR have been reported, but these tend to occur at the level of hundredths or thousandths of a percentage point.
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