The Challenges of Separating Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccines

Immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella are not offered as separate shots. Experts maintain there’s no evidence supporting the separation of these combined vaccines into individual doses. In the United States, the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been administered as a single injection for decades.

According to vaccine specialists, dividing the MMR vaccine into three individual shots could incur costs amounting to millions of dollars. Additionally, achieving this separation could take several years. These factors make it impractical to implement President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to administer these vaccines separately during three different appointments at the doctor’s office.