Talking Allergies

My DD is due for a flu shot next month. My first allergy was to egg (very severe). I'm able to take the flu shot (discovered after testing), and had one during pregnancy. There is also the MMR shot at 1 year.

Any comments or ideas? Would you go ahead with one or both? Delay the MMR?

Not really sure what I'd do if I were you, but I will tell you that ds was fine with the MMR, despite his egg allergy. And he was fine with the flu shot he had about 6 months prior to his egg allergy presenting. Now whether the shots brought on the allergy, or the egg in my diet while breastfeeding did... or if it was going to happen anyway...

After re-reading what I've just typed, I think for any future baby, I would avoid the flu shot and have an in-depth conversation with an allergist/pediatrician/both about their thoughts on delaying/avoiding the MMR.

Marla

p.s. am I a bad allergy mom for not realizing there's egg in the MMR?

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*Son, 5 years old: Asperger's, allergic to eggs, peanuts, and mustard seed (outgrew dairy and soy)
*Son, 23 months old
*Hubby: allergic to cats and trees (non-specified types)
*Self: allergic to penicillin

I know flu shots weren't mandatory when my son was a baby. I don't know about now? He never received one. Why not forgo the flu shot?

cdnmama-
This is what we did. I think it is always advisable to discuss concerns with your Dr. In our case the Dr advised that the risk of not having the MMR vaccine outweighed the risk of having it.
We gave the vaccine with EpiPen on hand a waited a good long time at the Dr's office. No reaction occurred. For the allergic reaction we have epinephrene; what do we have for MMR?

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Very good point! Thanks, Susan.

Marla

I found this article about egg allergies and vacines on the CSACI site:

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/15d9f6.htm

Hope it helps!

What about making candy apples?

I've done it a few times and it's not hard, you just can't leave the pot cos it's nasty if it burns cos the sugar gets REALLY hot.

Here's the recipe I've used

8 apples and sticks (crunchy work best)
1 cup water
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
(it says red food color but you wouldn't have to use it)

Put it all in a 2 quart pot and heat to boiling without stirring, medium heat. Heat without stirring till candy thermometer is at 290 degrees F. (thin, thread stage) about 20 minutes.
With paint brush dipped in hot water, occasionally brush sugar from sides of pot as it cooks (this keeps the sugar on the sides from getting too hot) . When it is 290 degrees, remeove from heat and dip the apples, tipping the saucepan to cover the apples. Place appls on a cookie sheet, cool at least one hour.

This wouldn't be good for giving to kids door-to-door, but if it is just for your nephew it would work, and they are SOOOO good! You would be his favorite auntie forever!

Hey, we're going to a pot-luck. This would be perfect!
Thanks.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

sorry, the candy apples were supposed to be in the Halloween thread, oops!

Our son is due for his MMR booster shot (he's nearly 6 years old). Our family doctor was not comfortable having it administered in the office until we consulted with our son's allergist (due to his egg allergy). (By the way, he did not react to the initial MMR vaccination; however, he's had multiple allergic reactions since that time, so our doctor is being cautious). I called my son's allergists office and was advised by the nurse that they would conduct an MMR allergy test in the office when he goes for his next allergist appt (Feb 2008). If no reaction to the test, then the immunization will occur in the allergist's office (which is within a hospital).

Regarding the flu vaccine, again, our family doctor, as well as the nurses working at the flu clinics will not administer the flu vaccine to those with egg allergy... at least this has been our experience. Our son has not received the flu vaccine, and in the last 2 years, has not had the flu (I think it's because we wash and wipe his hands so often!!)

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

My daughter (egg-allergic) had her 1 year MMR shot yesterday. She did fine with it, no reactions at all! What a relief! I had called my allergist beforehand, and she said that with the degree of my daughter's reaction at her allergy test, MMR at the doctor's office is fine, as long as the doctor is aware of the allergy and we stay for at least 30 minutes after the shot just in case.

However, she said NOT to give the flu shot outside of the hospital setting. We do have the appointment in December at the Children's Hospital Allergy Clinic for her flu shot. Both my husband and I are getting vaccinated too, to reduce the risk of giving it to her...

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Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...

Thanks for all your replies. My daughter had her first flu shot today, in hospital, not at the Dr's office. So far, so good. The second dose is given a month later. I'm hoping that she does well with that one too.

I had been advised by multiple peds at Sick Kids that the MMR is no longer incubated in egg and no longer contraindicated for egg-allergic children. My dd didn't have it until she was over 3 years, we didn't give Benadryl prophylactically, waited post administration at the office and although she reacts to MINUTE traces, even my dd was fine...

glad to hear Andrea_MASG that it went fine for you too
(fixed my horrible spelling)

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renie
daughter: ana for egg, sesame, dairy, pistachio/cashew/hazelnut. allergic on contact. allergic to soy protein isolate. other lesser allergies (e.g. dogs, dust mites). well controlled asthma. eczema.
son: p-p-p-p-peanuts

My son tested positive for milk protein allergy at 5 months old and the allergist told us not to introduce egg until he was a year old. Two months ago, before we had introduced egg, he had his MMR and Men C Conjugate vaccines. For 5 days after the vaccine he had a constant fever of 102 degrees, even with Tylenol. He had no other symptoms and when I called my doctor I was told a mild fever or rash is normal with the MMR vaccine. Then on the fifth day the fever went away and he broke out in a horrible hive like rash on his entire body, especially the cheeks. We took him to emergency and as soon as the doctor heard that he had the MMR vaccine, he asked if we had introduced egg yet. We explained that we hadn't and why, and he advised us to call the allergist and to not give the baby eggs. Because it was a hive type rash he he was concerned it was a reaction to the vaccine due to an egg allergy. He said to give him Benedryl and the rash was gone within a couple days. When I called the allergist's office, the nurse said that there is no way that the MMR vaccine would cause that type of reaction, that it sounded like he had a virus and the rash was from the fever. Kind of funny that he got the fever the same day he had the vaccines. The nurse said to go ahead and introduce egg starting with the yolk. Since my son reacts to dairy with skin contact, I always check new foods on his skin first. As soon as I dabbed the yolk to his cheek it went bright red with a hive. Now the allergist is saying there no need to do a skin prick test, that the hives indicate a clear allergy to egg. She again said that there is no need to avoid the MMR vaccine (he is due for the second dose in about 4 months) but to definitely not give him the flu vaccine. I know the nurse said the MMR is OK to give him, but I am going to talk to my general practioner who will give the vaccine and see if we can hold off. I've heard you can hold off on the second dose until the child is 6 years old and I'm hoping that he will grow out of the allergy by then.

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DS Sept 2006 - peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, coconut; contact reactions. Asthma. Many animal and environmental allergies.
DS Oct 1990 - Environmental allergies