Acetaminophen usually relieves these symptoms. A new vaccine, licensed in 1991, has fewer side effects. The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Measles is a serious and very contagious disease which causes high fever, cough and a rash that lasts one to two weeks. Sometimes it causes encephalitis, which may result in hearing loss and mental retardation.
Mumps causes fever, headache and swollen, painful salivary glands.
One in every 10 children may develop meningitis. The exception is that unborn babies, during the first three months of pregnancy, run a 70 percent chance of being miscarried or suffering very serious congenital complications. Polio, HIB and HBV are also important vaccines. Polio is caused by a virus. It can cause paralysis and even death.