ProQuad and High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

• Generic Name: measles virus vaccine / mumps virus vaccine / rubella virus vaccine / varicella virus vaccine
• Dosage Forms: injection, powder, lyophilized, for suspension
• Other Brand Names: ProQuad

ProQuad is a measles, mumps, rubella and varicella virus vaccine. Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella are serious diseases caused by viruses spread from person to person through the air or by skin to skin contact.

Measles virus can cause minor symptoms such as skin rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, or mild fever. It can also cause more serious symptoms such as ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.

Mumps virus causes fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen glands. More more serious symptoms include hearing loss, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, swelling around the brain or spinal cord, or (rarely) death.

Rubella virus (also called German Measles) causes skin rash, fever, sore throat, headache, eye irritation, and joint pain. Becoming infected with rubella during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage or serious birth defects.

Varicella (chickenpox) can cause fever, tiredness, headache, loss of appetite, and a breakout of fluid-filled blisters on the skin. Chickenpox is usually mild, but it can lead to severe skin infection, breathing problems, brain damage, or death. A person who has had chickenpox can develop herpes zoster (also called shingles) later in life, which causes severe nerve pain, and hearing or vision problems, which may last for months or years.

The ProQuad vaccine is used to help prevent these diseases in children. This vaccine works by exposing your child to a small dose of the virus or a protein from the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. ProQuad will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

ProQuad vaccine is for use in children between the ages of 12 months and 12 years old.

Like any vaccine, ProQuad vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.