Rubella and Mumps Virus Vaccine Live (Systemic)

Brand Names : BIAVAX II

Before Receiving This Vaccine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For rubella and mumps virus vaccine live, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to rubella and mumps virus vaccine live, to the antibiotic neomycin, or to gelatin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives.

Pregnancy - Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant within 3 months after receiving this vaccine. Although adequate studies have not been done in either humans or animals and problems have not been shown to occur, use of rubella and mumps virus vaccine live during pregnancy, or becoming pregnant within 3 months after receiving rubella and mumps virus vaccine live, is not recommended. Rubella vaccine virus crosses the placenta. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitored more than 200 women who received the vaccine within 3 months before or after becoming pregnant and those women gave birth to normal babies. Mumps vaccine virus may infect the placenta, although the vaccine has not been shown to infect the fetus or to cause birth defects.

Breast-feeding - Rubella vaccine virus may pass into breast milk. However, this vaccine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Use of this vaccine is not recommended for infants younger than 12 months of age. Children who received the vaccine when younger than 12 months of age should receive another dose of vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Before you receive rubella and mumps virus vaccine live, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you have received any of the following:

• Cancer medicines or
• X-ray treatment - May reduce the useful effect of the vaccine

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of rubella and mumps virus vaccine live. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Immune deficiency condition (or family history of) - Condition may increase the chance and severity of side effects of the vaccine and/or may decrease the useful effects of the vaccine

• Severe illness with fever - The symptoms of the condition may be confused with the possible side effects of the vaccine