It was once
thought that people who were allergic to eggs couldn't get vaccines
produced in chick embryos — as the measles vaccine is. Doctors now
know this isn't true. People with allergies to eggs can safely get
the measles vaccine as well as the combined measles-mumps-rubella
(MMR) vaccine.
Measles, also known as rubeola, can be very serious or even fatal
for small children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, measles causes about 2 deaths per 1,000 reported cases
in the United States each year. Young children have a higher risk of
death from measles than adults do.
Doctors recommend that children get two doses of the MMR vaccine
between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
