Measles, Mumps, Rubella ... And Anaphylaxis?

Health officials across Canada have stopped using a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella after several patients experienced anaphylaxis. Merck Frosst Canada shipped almost 300,000 units of the vaccine, with over 200,000 of those landing in Alberta. In all, six people experienced anaphylaxis. All six were treated and have fully recovered.

Though the response was swift, the disconcerting part is that the exact allergen has not yet been identified. I am sure that the first step will be to consult the six patients who had a reaction in an effort to identify common allergens and then to identify where in the process a new allergen was introduced.

"At this point, we haven't seen any problem," Merck spokeswoman Sheila Murphy said. "We've come up empty-handed so far."

Another interesting factor is that "at least five of the six patients who fell ill in Alberta had a history of allergic reactions." Though it is unconfirmed, that implies that one of the people might have had their first incident of anaphylaxis as a result of this vaccine.