Diarrhea after MMR vaccination
If gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea occur after vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella, it is essential to give the baby sufficient fluids and to consult a doctor if the baby’s general condition deteriorates. If the diarrhoea occurs immediately after vaccination, however, it is more likely to be another infection than a side effect of the vaccination. Side effects of this kind are only to be expected after about one week.
What are the costs of the vaccination?
Depending on the vaccination preparation, the cost of each vaccination may vary. There are currently (as of May 2017) preparations from several suppliers. The vaccine called MMR Vax Pro against mumps, measles and rubella from the manufacturer MSD Sharp& Dohme costs 32.41€, but since you need 2 doses of vaccine, the total price is 64.84€. Another supplier for vaccines against mumps, measles and rubella is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the vaccine of this manufacturer under the name Priorix costs currently (May 2017) 34.51€ and is slightly more expensive than the competitor’s product, here again you need twice the dose, so the total cost is 67.02€.
Who bears the costs for the MMR vaccination?
In 2010, the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STiKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) issued a recommendation to vaccinate against mumps, measles and rubella in all adults born after 1970 with an unclear vaccination status, with no vaccination or only one of both vaccinations. Since then, the costs of the vaccination have been covered by all statutory health insurance companies. Until now, the costs of the vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella were only covered by the statutory health insurance companies until the age of 18.
Advantages and disadvantages of MMR vaccination
Advantages and disadvantages of vaccinations are always passionately discussed. One should always weigh the disadvantages against the advantages that a vaccination brings. If you look specifically at the vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella, one disadvantage could be that there are local side effects, such as redness around the injection needle’s injection site, a slight swelling, and muscle soreness, both of which can also occur at the injection site.
In addition, flu-like symptoms such as muscle and limb pain may occur. These reactions are normal and to a certain extent necessary for the immune system to build up sufficient protection. In connection with the vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella, the so-called vaccination disease should also be mentioned here.This leads to a weakened course of the disease against which the vaccination was administered.
In about 2-5% of the vaccinated babies a vaccination disease is observed after vaccination against measles, so-called vaccination measles. This causes a fleeting rash (exanthema) on the body, the parotid glands (parotis) may swell slightly and temperatures may be slightly elevated. This form of measles disease is not contagious and is self-limiting, which means that the disease stops of its own accord without further therapeutic measures.
Complications that can occur with measles are, for example, pneumonia (pneumonia) or inflammation of the meninges (meningitis) or brain (encephalitis). The most feared side effect of measles is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which occurs about 2-10 years after infection with measles. SSPE is a generalized inflammation of the brain, which is always fatal.
The advantage of the vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella is that these complications no longer occur and therefore no child should suffer or die from them. Furthermore, a vaccination against mumps (mumps) can also prevent a complication caused by the virus, the infertility of boys. To achieve a so-called herd immunity it is necessary that about 95% of the population is vaccinated to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as babies, or immunocompromised people, for example due to serious diseases or old people, who per se have a weaker immune system.
Since vaccination rates are not so high everywhere in Germany, local outbreaks of measles occur time and again. It is noticeable that in most cases outbreaks occur in institutions such as Waldorf schools, where experience shows that people are rather reluctant to be vaccinated. In general, it can be said that by introducing the vaccinations, mankind has been able to completely eradicate pathogens such as smallpox and is on the brink of extinction for other pathogens.
Furthermore, one hears again and again that vaccinations trigger autism. This “thesis” has been appearing again and again for years when it comes to vaccinations and is misused by vaccination opponents as an argument against a vaccination. This can be traced back to the British doctor Andrew Wakefield.
In 1997, he owned a patent on a measles vaccine he had developed and which was supposedly safe. In order to better market this vaccine, it was naturally in his interest to present the combination vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella in a bad light. The Wakefield study was based on only 12 children.
He published his results in the journal “The Lancet” in 1998. In 2004, 10 out of 13 authors who were part of the study distanced themselves from the results. All subsequent studies disproved the results and could not establish a link between the vaccination and the occurrence of autism.
It should also be mentioned that the journal “The Lancet” has officially revoked the article. In addition, the British Medical Association has revoked Wakefield’s license as a physician. Wakefield had presented his results in a “dishonest” and “irresponsible” manner.
