MMR preschool booster

Last edited 05/2019

• a second dose of measles, mumps and rubella live vaccine is given to both sexes before starting school
• the first MMR vaccine provides protection of over 90% of vaccinated children to measles
• a single MMR provides over 95-100% protection to rubella
• a single MMR providesconfers between 61% and 91% protection against mumps
• a more recent study in the UK suggested that a single dose of MMR is around 64% effective against mumps (2)
  • therefore, two doses of MMR are required to produce satisfactory protection against measles, mumps and rubella
• the second vaccine (although often termed the MMR preschool booster) is designed to protect those children who were not protected by the first MMR vaccine
• there is no need to wait until the preschool booster - the second MMR vaccine can be administered at any time after at least three months have elapsed since the first dose (1)

Reference:

1. Prescriber 2000; 11 (13): 65-69.
2. mmunisation Against Infectious Disease - "The Green Book".Chapter 21 Measles (April 2019).