Flu Vaccine is OK for Egg-Allergic Folks!
Great news for those suffering from an egg allergy: You can now safely receive the flu vaccine, according to an allergist in Philadelphia.
For years, people with an egg allergy have been denied access to the annual flu vaccine since it contains protein from eggs. This vaccination is especially critical in children with allergies. Allergies are often accompanied by asthma, which puts them in the high-risk category for influenza.
To deny people who need the vaccine most is crazy, and the thinking is outdated. The studies conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia show that even children with a severe egg allergy can be vaccinated by using an escalation of dosages.
About 2% of children have an egg allergy to some degree. By using the method described above, most children in the studies experienced no reaction. A few of the children with the most severe allergies experienced local issues - itching - while only one suffered from hives. None of the reactions were considered severe or life-threatening.
Currently, only 30% of children are inoculated against the flu each year, but influenza has the potential to kill - and does indeed kill - children each year.
If you or your child are allergic to eggs, discuss your flu vaccination options with your doctor. Obviously, you’ll want to take special precautions and remain under observation a bit longer than most patients after receiving the vaccine. You may want to print out the accompanying article (linked below) as a reference for him/her.
Source (external link will open in a new window):
Flu Vaccine Safe for Egg-Allergic Kids
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March 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
For years my daughter had an egg allergy and we did not give her a flu shot. She has finally outgrown this allergy so this article no longer pertains to her. But this is excellent info for people that have an egg allergy.
Neena (NeenMachine)’s last blog post..Building Self Esteem
March 24th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Thank goodness for flu shots. Even with it, I have had to deal with it several times this year. My grandchildren kept passing it back and forth. It didn’t help my diet to lose weight at all!! So, I wrote a post about how to diet when you are sick. http://betheweightyouwant.com
Thanks for the tip on the egg allergy!
JoyntHeir’s last blog post..How to Diet When You Are Sick