Partial third nerve palsy after Measles Mumps Rubella vaccination

BACKGROUND Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccination is known to cause some serious adverse events, such as fever, rash, gland inflammation and neurologic disorders. These include third and sixth cranial nerve palsies. RESULTS The case reported describes a partial recurrent oculomotor palsy associated with systemic symptoms following MMR vaccination in a healthy young child. The oculomotor palsy did not recover completely during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Most of the times, measles, mumps and rubella cause mild illness and discomfort; but can also have serious or fatal sequelae. MMR vaccination has been proved to be safe and to reduce significantly the number of reported infections due to these viruses. However, significant adverse events can occur and paediatricians and public health operators should be aware of this aspect.