Has anyone given their older children the mmr vaccine?

[PJ67]

Don't want to turn this into another debate but wondering if anyone's children have had mmr when they were older. My 9 and 11 year olds haven't had it as my oldest had quite a bad reaction to it so I kept putting off. I'm seriously thinking about getting them now but wondering if side effects would be any different now their older, either better or worse. Thanks

My DS was born around the time where there was a lot of concern about vaccinations ( at the time my HV gave me loads of information but for and against - it was offered to me!) so I delayed some vaccinations and gave him single measles and mumps. However the single mumps has stopped being produced by the time we went to give him his booster so he ended up having his an MMR jab when he was over 18 as mumps had had a bit of a revival and we were concerned he wasn't fully protected.

He was absolutely fine and suffered no ill effects as we expected.

Ironically was diagnosed with Aspergers when he was younger!

Obviously all vaccinations carry a small risk but the risk of not vaccinating against particularly measles is a greater risk. I'd get them done ASAP.

Youngest son had to medically delay having MMR until he was over 17 [multiple severe protein allergies & epipens] he reacted badly to the first one but at that age the boy was reacting badly to just about everything.

He spoke with GP about having this after measles nearly killed his dad. GP spoke to him to make sure he knew the risks and possible benefits so he can make an informed choice. They then arranged for him to have the second MMR first thing on a Monday morning [just in case he reacted badly and needed urgent medical help and an ambulence] Son was fine but he got very, very bored by having to wait in the surgery [just in case] for over 3 hours before his GP was happy to let him go home with instructions and allergy meds to hand.

In honesty the risks from measles are far far greater than the risks of the vaccine. Have a chat with your GP who can better advise you as it may be possible to organise something similar if your son had a very bad reaction to the first dose

Yes. One daughter had it at 14 & the other at 11.

My older 5 children were not vaccinated at all and I have recently had them all fully vaccinated including the mmr. They are 11,10,9,6 and 5.

They didn’t have any reaction to it, and it was easy enough to get done at the doctors although obviously they were all done over two or three months as there is a certain algorithm to follow.

My nephew has just had it. He's 18 and is off to Nottingham Uni in September where I think there was an outbreak of mumps last academic year. He had no problems with it.

I thought the MMR vaccine was only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age. So I suppose if you're going to do it you'd better be quick. However I'm not sure how the vaccine knows how old the child is or if the age limit has anything to do with the onset of puberty or efficacy.

I don't think the side effects will by any different. I had to get it again last year (in my thirties) as they couldn't find a record of me having it when I was younger and I needed proof of MMR vaccination for my job. There's a big push at the minute to get anyone vaccinated with MMR who hasn't had it, whatever age they are. With the rise in cases of measles I'd go get it sorted ASAP.

I had it at 14 at school, along with everyone in my year, and had no side effects. I'd already had mumps and rubella but as I'd not had measles they gave me the full MMR.

Yes, at 12, we had to drive 50 miles to a hospital with a PICU due to very severe allergies just in case and stay there for the afternoon - after years of trying DD’s consultant agreed she could have it.

Dd had single measles at 2.

Then MMR and the booster at 15.

I thought the MMR vaccine was only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age.

This is not true, adults who didnt have the MMR due to age or other reasons are given the MMR all the time. I had it as an adult when I started work for the NHS. They are thorough about immunising workers who haven't had it. I had no side effects at all so go for it OP, measles is far worse than any possible side effects.

I had it the other day and I'm a lot older. Don't think I got any side effects at all to be honest

DH and sibs had theirs in their teens (epilepsy/reaction worries by GPs in the 90s). No reactions and none got MMR diseases.

When I was in uni 15 odd years ago there was a mumps outbreak, and the uni organised MMR booster shot sessions. Me and all my friends (aged 19/20) had the MMR booster and as far as I can remember none of us had any side effects!

I had it when ds was a baby - no side effects.

I've just found out that DP's father is an antivaxxer.

He's having an MMR (and whatever the DTP is called now) next week. He's already had the flu and pneumonia shot - because he doesn't like the idea of killing me.

He's also asked about the bcg.

"I thought the MMR vaccine was only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 "

I think that's CDC for USA. NHS gives it to anyone born after 1970 who is unsure of their immunisation status (those born before are assumed immune from the wild disease)

My dd had it at 14. No issues whatsoever. I feel really awful that she didn’t have it when she was younger - I left an abusive relationship when she was little and her medical records got mixed up / lost and it was only when I got properly settled years later and was more together that I realised she’d not had it.

My ds had it when he was 13, he was unable to have it at the proper age as his dad was diagnosed with MS a month before ds was born & we were advised to not have the vaccination. He didn't have any reaction to the jabs.

I had it in my twenties! Got a rash on my arse but was otherwise fine

My teen had the first injection last month and has the second one booked. He was very unwell after all his injections and trying to get some support and advice on how to manage this was impossible. So, he didn't have the MMR. He's was fine after the first one apart from a rash on his feet for a few days. I think there is a catch up going on as we got a letter from the GP about it.

Many thanks for all the replies, they're very reassuring. I'll ring the GP's and see if we can get it organised.

My dc's had it aged 10 and 8 with no issues at all.

I had it in my 20s, no side effects.

I had it when I was 18 and was absolutely fine - in fact pretty sure I went right to the pub after! My mum was absolutely adamant that I'd already had two doses but one was missing from my medical records (we lived in a different country until I was 10 so possibly administration error or similar. My doctor decided, as I was about to go to university, it would be safer to assume I'd only had one dose and just give me a second (possibly third) one...