Contraindications

There are very few individuals who cannot receive MMR vaccine. When there is doubt, appropriate advice should be sought from a consultant paediatrician, immunisation co-ordinator or consultant in communicable disease control rather than withholding the vaccine.

The vaccine should not be given to:

• those who are immunosuppressed
• those who have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to a previous dose of a measles-, mumps- or rubella-containing vaccine
• those who have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to neomycin or gelatin

Anaphylaxis after MMR is extremely rare (3.5 to 14.4 per million doses). Minor allergic conditions may occur and are not contraindications to further immunisation with MMR or other vaccines.

• acute fever
  • if an individual is acutely unwell, immunisation should be postponed until they have fully recovered. This is to avoid confusing the differential diagnosis of any acute illness by wrongly attributing any signs or symptoms to the adverse effects of the vaccine

MMR and MMRV vaccines in pregnancy:

• extensive UK and international surveillance data confirm a complete lack of evidence of risk of harm or congenital abnormalities when live rubella- or varicella-containing vaccines are inadvertently administered in pregnancy (2)

Reference:

1. Immunisation Against Infectious Disease - "The Green Book".Chapter 21 Measles (April 2019)
2. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The Safety of MMR and MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella) Vaccine when given in Pregnancy: Advice for Healthcare Professionals and Pregnant Women. Guidance document. Updated October 8, 2026.