Patient
Your preparation time is over. The role play will now last for about 5 minutes. Don’t worry if I stop you when the time is up. Can you start the role play, please?
Nurse
Hello Good morning. I’m Nurse Narso Andrew. Welcome to our community Health center. How may I help you today?
Patient
Good morning nurse. I have two kids. Doaha, who is four, and Samsun who’s two. One of my colleagues informed me about taking the MMR vaccine for them. I am here to get the details of it.
Nurse
Definitely. I will help you get the details about the MMR vaccine. Before proceeding further How may I address you?
Patient
My name is Patricia.
Nurse
Nice to meet you Patricia.
Patient
Nice to meet you too.
Nurse
Well, before we start Patricia, do you have any idea about the MMR vaccine?
Patient
Well I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure what it does exactly.
Nurse
The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect your children from three serious diseases Measles, mumps and rubella. These diseases can cause fever, rash, swelling of the glands, and sometimes severe complications like deafness, brain damage or death. The MMR vaccine is given in two doses: The first one, when the child is between four and six years old and the second one when the child is between 12 and 15 years old.
Nurse
That means your children are due for both doses of the MMR vaccine.
Patient
I see nurse. But why do they need two doses? Isn’t one enough?
Nurse
Your question is quite natural. Let me explain the need for both vaccines. The two doses are necessary to ensure your children develop strong immunity against the diseases. The first dose provides about 93% protection and the second dose boosts it to 97%. This means that if your children are exposed to someone with measles, mumps, rubella, they have a very low chance of getting sick.
Patient
Okay, I understand. But I am still worried about the side effects of the vaccine. I have heard some scary stories from my friends and on social media. They say that the MMR vaccine can cause autism, allergies or other serious problems.
Nurse
Patricia I can understand your concern but let me assure you that those stories are not true. There is no scientific evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism or any other disorder. The MMR vaccine has been used for decades and has been proven to be safe and effective. The most common side effects of the MMR vaccine are mild and temporary, such as fever, rash or soreness at the injection site.
Nurse
These usually go away within a few days and do not require any treatment.
Patient
Really. But what if my children have an allergic reaction to the vaccine?
Nurse
I appreciate your consciousness. The risk of an allergic reaction to the MMR vaccine is very rare. It occurs in less than one in a million doses. If it does happen, we have the equipment and medication to treat it right away. We also monitor your children for 15 minutes after the vaccination to ensure they are perfectly all right.
Patient
Ah, I see nurse. Well you seem to know a lot about this. And I want my children to be healthy and protected from these diseases. But I’m still not sure if I want to do it today. Can I think about it for a while?
Nurse
Of course patricia you can take your time to decide. But I would advise you not to delay too long. The sooner your children get vaccinated, the sooner they will be immune to these diseases. And remember these diseases are still around and can spread easily among unvaccinated people. You don’t want to risk exposing your children or others to them.
Patient
You’re right.Will it be painful?
Nurse
Don’t worry. We have some ways to make it easier for them. We can use numbing cream or spray on their arms before the injection so they won’t feel any pain. We can also distract them with some toys or stickers while we give them the shot and we can praise them and reward them with a lollipop or a balloon afterward.
Patient
That sounds good. Okay then Let’s do it today. Thank you for explaining everything to me so clearly.
Nurse
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you decided to vaccinate your children today. It’s one of the best things you can do for their health and well-being. Now, let me get the vaccine ready and we’ll get started.
Patient
Thank you. That is the end of your speaking role. Play All the best.
Nurse
Thank you.
