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Letters

MMR immunisation

BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7317.869/a (Published 13 October 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:869

True anaphylaxis to MMR vaccine is extremely rare

  1. Jonathan R Carapetis, senior lecturer in infectious diseases,
  2. Nigel Curtis (carapetj@cryptic.rch.unimelb.edu.au), senior lecturer in infectious diseases,
  3. Jenny Royle, paediatrician
  1. University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, 3052 Australia
  2. Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville
  3. St George's Hospital, London SW17 0QT
  4. Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH

    EDITOR—In their concise review of the common issues surrounding MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) immunisation Harnden and Shakespeare mentioned that “special vaccination precautions need to be taken … in children with known anaphylactic reactions to egg or coexisting chronic severe asthma.”1 It is important that this statement be clarified.

    True anaphylaxis to MMR vaccine is extremely rare, and most cases have occurred in children not allergic to eggs. In a study at our hospital over 400 children with documented egg allergy received the vaccine; minor reactions (not requiring treatment) occurred in four, and no major reactions occurred.2 Since that time we have immunised hundreds more children with known or suspected egg …

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