ProQuad is a measles, mumps, rubella and varicella virus vaccine. Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella are serious diseases caused by viruses. They are spread from person to person through the air.
Measles virus can cause minor symptoms such as skin rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, or mild fever. It can also cause more serious symptoms such as ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.
Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands, but more serious symptoms include hearing loss, and painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries. Mumps can cause breathing problems or meningitis, and these infections can be fatal.
Rubella virus (also called German Measles) causes skin rash, mild fever, and joint pain. Becoming infected with rubella during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage or serious birth defects.
Varicella (commonly known as chickenpox) is a common childhood disease that causes fever, skin rash, and a breakout of fluid-filled blisters on the skin. Most people who receive ProQuad will not get chickenpox, or will get only a mild case and will recover faster.
Chickenpox is usually mild, but it can be serious or even fatal in young infants and in adults. It can lead to severe skin infection, breathing problems, brain damage, or death. A person who has had chickenpox can develop herpes zoster (also called shingles) later in life, which causes severe nerve pain, and hearing or vision problems, which may last for months or years.
Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella are spread from person to person.
ProQuad vaccine is used to help prevent these diseases in children. This vaccine works by exposing your child to a small dose of the virus or a protein from the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. ProQuad will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.
ProQuad is for use in children between the ages of 12 months and 12 years old.
Like any vaccine, ProQuad may not provide protection from disease in every person.
Important information
ProQuad vaccine is usually given only once when the child is between 12 months and 12 years old. If a booster dose is needed, At least 3 months should pass between the first and second doses of ProQuad.
Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot. Your child can still receive ProQuad if he or she has a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving ProQuad vaccine. Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving ProQuad. If the child ever needs to receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella is much more dangerous to your child"s health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, ProQuad can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Do not give your child salicylates such as aspirin, Disalcid, Doan"s Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others for at least 6 weeks after receiving ProQuad. A serious condition called Reye"s Syndrome has been reported in patients with chickenpox who take aspirin or salicylates.
Before receiving ProQuad
Your child should not receive ProQuad if he or she is allergic to eggs, gelatin, or neomycin (Mycifradin, Neo-Fradin, Neo-Tab), or if the child has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any vaccine containing measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella.
Your child should also not receive ProQuad if he or she has:
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active tuberculosis infection;
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a cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma;
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a history of Guillain-Barr¨¦ syndrome;
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a chronic disease such as asthma or other breathing disorder, diabetes, kidney disease, or a blood cell disorder such as anemia;
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severe immune suppression caused by disease (such as cancer, HIV, or AIDS), or by receiving certain medicines such as steroids, chemotherapy or radiation;
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if the child has recently taken aspirin or other similar medicines such as Disalcid, Doan"s Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others;
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if the child has recently received a stem cell transplant;
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if someone in the child"s household has a weak immune system; or
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if the child is pregnant.
If your child has any of these other conditions, the ProQuad vaccination may need to be postponed or not given at all:
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thrombocytopenia purpura (easy bruising or bleeding);
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a history of seizures;
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a neurologic disorder or disease affecting the brain (or if this was a reaction to a previous vaccine);
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a weak immune system caused by disease, bone marrow transplant, or by using certain medicines or receiving cancer treatments;
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if the child has received an immune globulin or other blood product within the past year; or
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if the child has received a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine within the past 28 days (4 weeks).
Your child can still receive a vaccine if he or she has a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving ProQuad.
Pregnant women should wait to get ProQuad vaccine until after they have given birth. Women should not get pregnant for 3 months after getting the vaccine. A woman should not receive ProQuad without telling the doctor if she is breast-feeding a baby.
How is ProQuad given?
ProQuad is given as an injection under the skin. You will receive this injection in a doctor"s office or clinic setting.
ProQuad vaccine is usually given only once when the child is between 12 months and 12 years old. If a booster dose is needed, At least 3 months should pass between the first and second doses of ProQuad.
Your child"s booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor"s instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department.
Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor"s instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.
It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.
ProQuad can cause false results on a skin test for tuberculosis for up to 6 weeks. Tell any doctor who treats you if you have received a measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella virus vaccine within the past 4 to 6 weeks.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Since ProQuad is usually given only once, you are not likely to miss a dose. Contact your doctor if you do not receive all recommended doses.
What happens if I overdose?
An overdose of ProQuad is unlikely to occur.
What should I avoid?
Your child should not receive another "live" vaccine for at least 4 weeks after receiving the ProQuad vaccine. The other live vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect your child from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), Bacillus Calmette-Gu¨¦rin (BCG), oral polio, rotavirus, smallpox, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), H1N1 influenza, and nasal flu vaccine.
Do not give your child salicylates such as aspirin, Disalcid, Doan"s Pills, Dolobid, Salflex, Tricosal, and others for at least 6 weeks after receiving ProQuad. A serious condition called Reye"s Syndrome has been reported in patients with chickenpox who take aspirin or salicylates.
ProQuad side effects
Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first ProQuad shot. Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving ProQuad. If the child ever needs to receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella is much more dangerous to your child"s health than receiving ProQuad vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Get emergency medical help if your child has any of these signs of an allergic reaction to ProQuad: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if your child has any of these serious side effects:
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problems with hearing or vision;
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extreme drowsiness, fainting;
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fussiness, irritability, crying for an hour or longer;
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easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
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seizure (black-out or convulsions); or
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high fever (within a few hours or a few days after the vaccine).
Less serious ProQuad side effects include:
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redness, pain, swelling, or a lump where the shot was given;
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headache, dizziness;
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low fever, joint or muscle pain; or
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nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.
See also: Side effects (in more detail)
What other drugs will affect measles, mumps, rubella and varicella virus vaccine?
Before receiving ProQuad, tell the doctor about all other vaccines your child has recently received.
Also tell the doctor if your child has recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:
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an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine;
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medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or
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medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab-CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf).
If your child is receiving any of these medications, he or she may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.
This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with ProQuad vaccine. Tell your doctor about all medications your child receives. This includes prescription, over the counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
