MMRV Vaccine Use in Adults

Appropriate Vaccination Options for Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults requiring protection against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella should receive separate vaccines: MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine for protection against measles, mumps, and rubella 3, 4
Adults without evidence of immunity to varicella should receive two doses of single-antigen varicella vaccine, administered subcutaneously, 4-8 weeks apart, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 2
For adults without evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella, one or two doses of MMR vaccine should be administered depending on risk factors, according to the American College of Physicians 3, 4, 5

All adults born in or after 1957 without evidence of immunity should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine, as recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians 3, 4
The American College of Physicians recommends a second dose of MMR vaccine for certain groups, including students in postsecondary educational institutions, healthcare workers, international travelers, adults recently exposed to measles or in outbreak settings, and adults previously vaccinated with killed measles vaccine or unknown type during 1963-1967 3, 4, 5

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults without evidence of immunity to varicella should receive two doses of single-antigen varicella vaccine 1, 2
Special consideration for vaccination should be given to healthcare personnel, family contacts of immunocompromised persons, teachers and childcare employees, residents and staff of institutional settings, college students, military personnel, nonpregnant women of childbearing age, and international travelers, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 2

Documentation of 2 doses of varicella vaccine at least 4 weeks apart is considered evidence of immunity, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 4, 2
Laboratory evidence of immunity or laboratory confirmation of disease is also considered evidence of immunity for varicella and measles, mumps, and rubella, as recommended by the American College of Physicians 4, 2, 3, 5

MMRV vaccine is specifically contraindicated in adults due to licensing restrictions, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 2
Pregnant women should not receive MMR or varicella vaccines; vaccination should be deferred until after pregnancy, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 4, 6
Women should avoid pregnancy for 4 weeks following MMR or varicella vaccination, as recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians 6, 7