The MMR jab is surrounded by controversy. Factor in an egg allergy and the decision becomes even more problematic. Family GP, Dr Sue Morrison, weighs up the pros and cons.

Raisingkids member's problem
My 7 month-old develops 'nettle rash' when he's been in contact with egg. Does this mean he won't be able to have the single MMR injection? I know it's a while off but I feel uneasy about having it done in one shot even if he grows out of the allergy.

Dr Morrison's advice
The only official contra-indication to the mumps vaccine is a full-blown allergic reaction ('anaphylaxis') where the face swells. Where more minor degrees of allergy are present, the vaccine would be given with very close supervision by health care professionals.

At present, the government believes there are no benefits from using single vaccines. It doesn't endorse this approach because children are left unprotected for longer - a child needs 9 injections rather than 3 plus some children never return for the remainder. There are no quality controls on standards and safety of single vaccines because they're all imported. The NHS Promotion Unit has produced a video MMR: What Parents Want To Know and this may be available via a health visitor, practice nurse or GP.

Before MMR, mumps was the cause of 1200 hospital admissions a year. However, some complementary and alternative practitioners endorse single vaccines - or indeed no vaccines - because they believe passive immunisation with multiple vaccines (rather than active, where the person has the infection and then develops antibodies) in a young child can overload the immune system.

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