FDA reassures public that MMR vaccine is safe and effective

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement Monday rebaduring the public that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective.

In recent years, misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines has resulted in low vaccination rates in some communities. Despite efforts by some jurisdictions to close loopholes allowing parents to avoid vaccinating their children, many have found other ways to circumvent vaccination requirements.

"This is of great concern to us as we see preventable diseases such as measles or mumps reappear in the United States and threaten our communities," said Peter Marks, director of the Center for Evaluation and Research of Biologics, noting that the vaccine had been used in the United States for half a month. century.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the measles eradication in the United States in 2000 as a result of "an extremely effective vaccination program … as well as". a better fight against measles in the Americas ", the disease has returned in the last decade.

Measles is still prevalent in countries with limited access to MMR vaccine, with around 20 million cases annually worldwide, and most of the disease outbreaks in the United States go back to international travel. Although measles is no longer endemic in the United States, this highly contagious disease can spread rapidly when it is introduced into communities where vaccination rates are below the 95% threshold required to maintain the disease. collective immunity.

To date, 626 measles cases have been confirmed in the United States in the first four months of 2019, which is well below the previous record of 667 cases recorded in 2014, according to the CDC. According to the CDC, the United States is about to break this record in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, New York City declared measles a public health emergency and issued an order requiring residents of six months or more enrolled in certain postal codes to receive the MMR vaccine within 48 hours. or incur a fine. Nearly half of the confirmed cases of measles in the United States this year occurred in or near New York City, with a large number of cases affecting members of the Orthodox Jewish community.

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that measles cases have increased by 300% in 2019 compared to the same period last year.

"We can not say enough – overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vaccines are among the most effective and safest interventions to both prevent disease and protect public health," said Marks.

The brands also said that although the MMR vaccine is known to have potential side effects, the side effects are usually mild and temporary compared to the symptoms and possible consequences of the diseases it prevents.

FDA