Rubella Virus Vaccine Live (Systemic)

Brand Names : Meruvax 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 vaccine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to rubella vaccine, 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. Vaccination during pregnancy or within 3 months of pregnancy is not recommended.

Breast-feeding - Rubella vaccine may pass into the breast milk. However, studies have not shown that this causes any problems.

Children - Use is not recommended for infants less than 12 months of age. This medicine has been tested in older infants and children and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

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 vaccine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you have received any of the following:

• Cancer medicines or
• Corticosteroids (e.g., cortisone-like medicines) or
• Radiation therapy - May reduce the useful effect of the vaccine

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of rubella vaccine. 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