http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/...ffects.htm#mmr
Some numbers by the vaccine people. Note what counts as a moderate reaction.
A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
The risk of MMR vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.
Getting MMR vaccine is much safer than getting measles, mumps or rubella.
Most people who get MMR vaccine do not have any serious problems with it.
Mild Problems
Fever (up to 1 person out of 6)
Mild rash (about 1 person out of 20)
Swelling of glands in the cheeks or neck (about 1 person out of 75)
If these problems occur, it is usually within 7-12 days after the shot. They occur less often after the second dose.
Moderate Problems
Seizure (jerking or staring) caused by fever (about 1 out of 3,000 doses)
Temporary pain and stiffness in the joints, mostly in teenage or adult women (up to 1 out of 4)
Temporary low platelet count, which can cause a bleeding disorder (about 1 out of 30,000 doses)
Severe Problems (Very Rare)
Serious allergic reaction (less than 1 out of a million doses)
Several other severe problems have been reported after a child gets MMR vaccine, including:
Deafness
Long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness
Permanent brain damage
These are so rare that it is hard to tell whether they are caused by the vaccine.
It was a long time ago, but here is my 2 cents from my sometimes selective memory. My kids got all the recommended vaccines. With the older girl we were able to spread out the shots over a longer schedule and were able to get some vaccines commonly given in multiples as individual shots on individual days. She had no significant issues just mild swelling and fever. With the younger the politics of vaccination were in play and we were badgered into pretty much following their schedule. Little Griff had significant swelling and fever and gave us at least one long over-night of screaming baby with associated parental guilt. Beating up on vaccine skeptics is common place even among people who normally question the interplay of government and
corporations. I get that it's important, many of my age-mates were exposed to German measles en utero and suffered serious birth defects. I just think that people are unable or unwilling to discuss this topic like adults because, maybe rightly, it could suppress vaccination numbers. This lack of discussion can itself harm children because 1 in 3000 is significant, at least to the 1 in 3000.