MMR and Varicella Vaccination Guidelines

Introduction to Vaccination Schedules

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine and two doses of varicella vaccine, with a minimum interval of 4 weeks between MMR doses and 3 months between varicella doses for children under 13 years 1, 2, 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends administering the first dose of MMR vaccine at 12-15 months of age as part of routine childhood immunization 1, 3
The second dose of MMR vaccine should be administered at 4-6 years of age, before school entry, with a minimum interval of 4 weeks between doses 1, 3, 4, 5
For catch-up vaccination, children and adolescents who missed the routine schedule should receive two doses separated by at least 4 weeks 1, 3
Adults born in 1957 or later without documentation of vaccination or immunity should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine 6, 7

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends administering the first dose of varicella vaccine at 12-15 months of age 2, 3
The second dose of varicella vaccine should be administered at 4-6 years of age, before school entry, with a minimum interval of 3 months between doses for children 12 months-12 years 2, 3
For adolescents and adults, two doses of varicella vaccine are required, separated by a minimum of 4 weeks 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using separate MMR and varicella vaccines for the first dose in children 12-47 months due to increased febrile seizure risk 3
For the second dose at any age, MMRV is generally preferred over separate injections 3

Two doses of MMR vaccine provide optimal protection, with almost all persons who fail to respond to the first dose responding to the second 4, 5
Two doses of varicella vaccine are 98% efficacious against any varicella disease and 100% efficacious against severe disease 2

Severe immunocompromise, high-dose systemic corticosteroids, pregnancy, and severe anaphylactic reaction to vaccine components are contraindications for both MMR and varicella vaccines 2, 3, 6, 7

Lyophilized vaccines should be stored at 2-8°C, protected from light, and used within 8 hours after reconstitution 4, 5

MMR vaccines, such as PRIORIX and M-M-R II, are fully interchangeable for all indications 1
Varicella vaccines, such as Monovalent varicella vaccine and MMRV, are interchangeable when age-appropriate 2