It is very easily passed from one person to another. It causes a high fever, cough, and a rash and lasts for 1 to 2 weeks. One out of every 10 children who catch measles will also have an ear infection or pneumonia. This happens to about 1 out of every 1,000 children reported to have the disease. Babies and adults who catch measles are often much sicker and are more likely to suffer longer or die than elementary school children and teenagers with measles.
Mumps sometimes can be a very serious disease.
It lasts for several days and it is easily passed from person to person. Swelling or inflammation of the brain is reported in about 1 case out of every 200. Before there was a mumps vaccine, many children had hearing loss caused by mumps. About 1 out of every 4 teenage or adult males with mumps will have a painful swelling of the testicles for several days. This usually does not make the person unable to father children.