Epoetin alfa-epbx Injection and Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella Virus Vaccine

• Generic Name: epoetin alfa
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Epogen, Procrit, Retacrit

Epoetin alfa-epbx injection causes the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. If the body does not produce enough red blood cells, severe anemia can occur. This often occurs in people with chronic kidney failure whose kidneys are not working properly. Epoetin alfa-epbx may be used for patients on kidney dialysis or for those not on dialysis. Anemia can also occur in people who are receiving chemotherapy to treat cancer or in patients with HIV who are receiving zidovudine. Epoetin alfa-epbx is used to treat severe anemia in these patients.

Epoetin alfa-epbx injection is also used to lessen or avoid the need for blood transfusion in patients scheduled for any type of surgery where a lot of blood loss is expected.

Epoetin alfa-epbx is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: measles virus vaccine / mumps virus vaccine / rubella virus vaccine / varicella virus vaccine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: ProQuad

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, mumps, rubella, and varicella can cause minor symptoms such as fever, tiredness, headache, sore throat, cough, swollen glands, runny nose, eye irritation, skin rash, muscle aches, and joint pain.

More serious symptoms of measles or mumps include pneumonia, hearing loss, painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries, and rarely permanent brain damage or death.

Becoming infected with rubella virus (also called German Measles) during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage or serious birth defects.

Varicella (chickenpox) can also cause 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 measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine is used to help prevent these diseases in children. This vaccine causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

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

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