Regarding Administration of Combination MMRV Vaccine

On February 27, 2008, new information was presented to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the risk for febrile seizures among children aged 12--23 months after administration of the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine (ProQuad®, Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey). This report summarizes current knowledge regarding the risk for febrile seizures after MMRV vaccination and presents updated ACIP recommendations that were issued after presentation of the new information. These updated recommendations remove ACIP's previous preference for administering combination MMRV vaccine over separate injections of equivalent component vaccines (i.e., measles, mumps, and rubella [MMR] vaccine and varicella vaccine).