KING COUNTY, WA - The Seattle-King County Department of Public Health has learned (from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization) that many countries of the world do not routinely provide rubella vaccinations to their children. As a result, children from these countries may not be adequately protected against this disease.
For children who have been immunized in certain other countries -- including Russia and other countries in the former Soviet Union -- vaccine recorded as "MMR," but given before they arrived in the United States, probably was measles or a measles-mumps combination and did not contain rubella vaccine. If these children have not already received a dose of MMR after arriving in the United State, the public health department is recommending that they receive a dose of MMR vaccine now.
MMR vaccine is routinely used in the United States and provides protection against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). The first dose is given at 12-15 months of age, and a second dose is usually given at school entry or 6th grade, but may be given as soon as one month after the first dose.
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