What could go wrong?

A look at possible side effects of the measles vaccination

This article was published on 02.19.15

As the measles outbreak that started at Disneyland in Southern California has captured public attention, calls for mandatory vaccination of children are rising. Preventable diseases like measles are making a comeback in this country, experts say, because 48 states allow families to skip shots for religious or personal reasons. So, what could go wrong? The majority of children who receive the measles vaccine experience no side effects; the most common are fever or minor soreness. Other possible side effects include:

• Swollen glands (1 in 7 children)

• Rash (1 in 20)

• Joint pain/stiffness (1 in 100)

• Seizure (1 in 3,000)

• Low platelet count/bleeding

(1 in 30,000)

• Encephalitis (1 in 1 million)

Source: WebMD.com