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.