Beginning with the 2010-2011 flu season, U.S. residents have access to three types of influenza vaccine: an intranasal spray containing live but weakened flu viruses, an injection of inactivated influenza viruses, and Fluzone, a more concentrated flu shot for people 65 years of age or older. Because these vaccines contain viruses grown from chicken eggs, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, says that people with a severe allergy to chicken eggs should not receive a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician.
Cause
As influenza viruses grow in eggs, they incorporate small amounts of the protein that causes egg allergies in sensitive individuals. If you have an egg allergy, your body may launch an allergic reaction against the foreign protein, says MayoClinic.com.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of egg allergy are itching and hives. If you have a mild or moderate egg allergy, you may also develop a runny nose, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath from allergic asthma, notes MayoClinic.com. If your egg allergy is severe, you may develop a life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis that can compromise your breathing and blood pressure.
Tests
If you have an egg allergy, your doctor will want to know how severe your allergic reaction is before administering flu vaccine. She may refer you to an allergy specialist who can do skin tests that use small amounts of egg protein and flu vaccine. If the results are negative, you can safely receive a flu vaccine. If you respond to the egg protein but not the vaccine, your doctor may order the flu vaccine but ask you to stay in the office for 30 minutes to watch for an allergic reaction. Even if you have a reaction to both the protein and the vaccine, you may be able to have a series of smaller flu immunizations with close monitoring, says MayoClinic.com.
Misconceptions
Mild redness, itching, swelling or soreness at the site where you received a flu shot is not due to an egg allergy. This injection site reaction is typically mild, lasts only a day or two and goes away on its own, says Flu.gov. If you are anxious about needles and faint after getting a flu shot, that doesn't mean you're allergic to the vaccine.
Expert Insight
If your healthcare provider doesn't want to order allergy tests to measure the severity of your egg allergy, you can ask the physician if it's safe for you to be immunized given your history of egg allergy. If the doctor can't give a definitive answer, remember the CDC says people with severe egg allergies should not receive flu vaccine.
Considerations
If you or your child cannot receive flu vaccine because of a severe egg allergy, you'll still have some level of protection if those around you are immunized against influenza, according to the American Pharmacists Association.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
- MayoClinic.com: Egg Allergy: Definition
- MayoClinic.com: Egg Allergy: Symptoms
- MayoClinic.com: Swine Flu (H1N1)
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Inactivated Influenza Vaccine 2010-2011
- American Pharmacists Association: Herd Immunity to Influenza After Vaccinating Children
