The first vaccines to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella were developed in:
- measles-inactivated vaccine – 1963
- measles-live, attenuated vaccine – 1965-8
- mumps vaccine – 1967
- rubella vaccine – 1969
It would be a few more years until these three vaccines were combined into the single MMR vaccine (1971).
We got an updated MMR-II vaccine in 1978.
Today, all children get their first dose of MMR when they are 12 to 15 months old, getting a second dose when they are four to six years old.

Infants should get a dose before 12 months, as early as six months, if they will be traveling out of the United States. And should complete the two dose series if they will be traveling out of the country before they are four years old.
More on MMR Vaccines
- Do You Need Another Dose of the MMR Vaccine?
- Who Needs an MMR Vaccine?
- Rash After the MMR – Is This Normal?
- Did Gregory Poland Really Say That MMR Vaccines Can’t Prevent Measles Outbreaks?
- Why Are You Still Worried About the MMR Vaccine?
- Is the MMR Vaccine Licensing Being Called into Question?
- Ask the Experts about MMR Vaccines
- CDC – Measles Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know
- CDC – Mumps Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know
- CDC – Rubella Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know
- CDC – MMR VIS
- CDC – MMRV VIS
- MMR ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
- MMRV ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
- Pinkbook – Measles
- Pinkbook – Mumps
- Pinkbook – Rubella
- FDA – MMR II (package insert)
- FDA – ProQuad (package insert)
- A Look at Each Vaccine : MMR
- History of the Measles Vaccines
- History of the Mumps Vaccines
- History of the Rubella Vaccines
- Institute for Vaccine Safety – MMR Vaccine Issues
- The Fraud Behind the MMR Scare – News Coverage from IAC