Overview
Encephalitis is a rare but serious adverse event that can occur following measles-containing vaccines (MCV) 1. While the risk is exceedingly low, it is a concern for vaccine hesitancy 1.Diagnosis
Management
Special Populations
Key Recommendations
Measles-containing vaccines (MCV) are generally well-tolerated in infants under 12 months of age, with common adverse events including injection site reactions, fever, rash, gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory tract symptoms, conjunctivitis, and general malaise 1.
The frequency of any adverse event following MCV1 in infants under 12 months is generally less than 10 percent 1.
A placebo-controlled trial showed no difference in adverse events between infants receiving MCV1 and those receiving a placebo injection 1.References
1 Vittrup DM, Charabi S, Jensen A, Stensballe LG. A systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse events following measles-containing vaccines in infants less than 12 months of age. Vaccine 2025. link