What is the MMR vaccine, what are the side effects, when was it introduced and why was it linked to autism?

MEASLES is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause rashes, fever, and swelling of the brain - but a vaccination exists and is offered by the NHS as a single measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.

The MMR jab is given as standard to babies and children before they start school, and here we look closer at its history, uses and controversies.

What is the MMR vaccine and when was it first introduced?

The MMR is a safe and effective combined vaccine that protects against three separate illnesses – measles, mumps and rubella, which is also known as German measles – in a single injection.

The MMR vaccine was introduced in the UK in 1988.

The full course of MMR vaccination requires two doses, and is administered at one year of age, and at around three years four months.

Sometimes the vaccine can be given to younger babies if they have been exposed to the measles virus or if there is a national outbreak.

In the first six months of 2018, there were more than 41,000 measles cases recorded during the first six months of 2018, including 37 deaths, across Europe.

What are the side effects of the MMR vaccine?

The some of the typical side effects of the vaccine.

These include children having a very mild form of measles about a week to 11 days after the MMR injection.

They describe it as a rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days.

Three to four weeks after having the MMR injection, one in 50 children develop a mild form of mumps, which includes swelling of the glands in the cheek, neck or under the jaw, and lasts for a day or two.

One to three weeks after receiving the rubella vaccine component of MMR vaccine, some adult women experience painful, stiff or swollen joints, which can last for around three days.

Rarer side effects include bruising, and seizures six to eleven days after the jab.

There is also a small chance children can have an allergic reaction to the inoculation and go in to anaphylactic shock.

Why was the MMR vaccine linked to autism?

British doctor Andrew Wakefield made headlines around the globe in 1998 when he claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

His findings - published in medical journal The Lancet - are believed to have led to widespread concerns among parents giving their children the jab.

The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield's article was found to have been "dishonest" by the General Medical Council.

He was later struck off before the story was declared fraudulent by the British Medical Journal in 2011.

The NHS says: "MMR is a safe and effective combined vaccine that protects against three separate illnesses – measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) – in a single injection.

"Subsequent studies in the last eight years have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism or bowel disease."