National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Supplementary statement MMR vaccine and anaphylactic hypersensitivity to egg or egg-related antigens.

The fourth edition of the Canadian Immunization Guide (1993) recommends that "persons who have a history of anaphylactic hypersensitivity to hens' eggs (urticaria, swelling of the mouth and throat, difficulty in breathing or hypotension) should not be given measles vaccine except under special precautions." The precautions outlined include skin testing with diluted vaccine and graded challenge vaccination if the skin test is positive. Results of several recent studies have questioned such a cautious approach. NACI has reviewed all available data and revised its guidelines accordingly. The following revised guidelines are a major departure from the previously published recommendations. They will appear in the next edition of the Canadian Immunization Guide. A measles-rubella combination vaccine (Mo-Ru Viraten Berna TM) recently licensed in Canada contains no avian proteins and therefore can be used without regard to egg allergy.