MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) Vaccination Campaign

Posted on January 29th, 2024

The NHS is running a MMR vaccination catch up programme for anyone who has not been vaccinated, we are sending out text message invites to eligible patients so you can book an appointment online or you can contact our reception team to book an appointment.  Please see below information on who should receive the vaccine, you may also find the below links useful which contain information regarding the MMR vaccination.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mmr-for-all-general-leaflet/mmr-for-all-general-guide

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/mmr-vaccine/

Who should have the vaccine

Young children

Young children should be offered the vaccine as part of the UK national vaccination programme. They will be offered 2 doses of the vaccine, the first one just after the first birthday and the second dose before they start school – usually at around 3 years and 4 months of age.

Older children, teenagers and young adults

If you have never previously had MMR vaccine or have only had one dose of it, you should contact your GP surgery to arrange to catch up with your outstanding doses. If you have already had one dose of MMR vaccine as a young child then you will only need one further dose, no matter how long ago your first dose was given. If you need 2 doses then they can be given with a one month gap between them.

Women of child bearing age

Rubella can be a very serious infection for unborn babies, it can cause blindness, deafness and even death. If you are a woman of child bearing age, even if you are not planning to have a baby, you should have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine before you become pregnant. If you have not had 2 doses, or you are unsure, you should contact your GP surgery to arrange to catch up with any doses still outstanding.

As it is a live vaccine, you should avoid getting pregnant for one month after the vaccine so you should also use a reliable method of contraception during this time. If you are pregnant or have just had a baby and are not sure if you’ve had 2 doses of MMR, speak to your GP or practice nurse at your 6 week postnatal check.

Older adults

Adults born in the UK before 1970 are likely to have had measles, mumps and rubella as a child or to have had single measles or rubella vaccines which were used before MMR was introduced in 1988.

If you are unsure whether or not you have had these infections or the vaccines to protect against them, you can ask your GP to vaccinate you. You will need 2 doses, one month apart. Even if you have had the vaccines before, you will not come to any harm from having extra doses as your immune system will recognize and quickly destroy the vaccine viruses.

Born or brought up abroad

If you were born or brought up abroad you may need 2 doses of MMR. Different countries offer different immunisations and not all use the combined MMR vaccine. If you don’t have a record of the vaccines you have received or are unsure, discuss this with your GP. You may also need other immunisations to fully protect you from other infections.

Request an appointment via the link below (please only request an appointment if you have received an invitation from us)

Brief routine appointment request