Talking Allergies

Does anyone with egg allergy get the flu shot? We did not get the flu shot for our son last year based on his egg allergy, which is potentially anaphylactic. The nurses at the flu shot clinic also did not think he should have it.and our family doctor agreed and felt there was risk in giving him the flu shot. I'm just curious if some egg allergic individuals go ahead with it, and if there have been any reported anaphylactic reactions? The most recent material we received from our local regional health dept, under the subject heading "Who should not get the flu vaccine?" indicates "Anyone with a severe allergy (anaphylaxis) to eggs that causes hives, throat and/or tongue swelling, difficulty breathing or shock". You might be wondering why I would still like to get the flu shot for our son - well, it's because a couple of years ago, he became very ill with the flu, and had to be hospitalized. It was a very scary time, and certainly the flu does pose a danger to some individuals.

I don't--but I'd be interested as well in knowing if people with an allergy to egg have and have lived to tell the tale.

I looked into getting the flu shots, and if you have an egg allergy the answer is no.

My youngest daughter got a large hive at the immunization site from her needle for DaPTP-HIB the fourth time she had it. She is due for a booster at 4 years of age. I'm not sure what my allergist will recommend. There is no egg in this one, but she has recently reacted to chicken and beef so I'm sure she just reacted to the protein in it.

Since then, my daughter has all immunizations in the hospital er incase of a reaction. I also give her reactine (or claritin, or arius) about 3 hours prior to her immunization and the next day as well ( in case it is still in her system ).

The chicken pox needle ( according to my allergist ) is safe for egg allergic kids. Both my daughters had the needle. I did not want to risk chicken pox on top of eczema. Too itchy!!! There was a major outbreak at preschool last year. One child was EXTREMELY sick! She was even hospitalized. When my daughter didn't get it her teachers assumed she must have had it when she was younger. I was quite happy to not have had chicken pox with my girls.

Our daughter doesn't get thge flu shot as she is allergic to egg. My husband and I get the flu shot so that we don't get the flu. She is less likely to get the flu if we don'y get it and if she gets the flu we won't get sick looking after her.
She did get the MMR when it was time. Her Dr felt that the risk from the diseases out weighed the risk from the vaccine. His office is across the street from the hospital and we waited there for an hour aftyer having the shot.

Our daughter is also egg allergic and with all of the talk of flus this year in the media I was concerned for her. I contacted Sick Kids hospital in Toronto where we go for her care. I called at the right time. Last week the allergy clinic at Sick Kids had their flu shot clinic for egg allergic children. I had never heard of it. We got an appointment and attended.

What the doctors do is test egg allergic children with the vaccine to see if they react. If they don't they can receive the vaccine. The doctors feel that the concern over the flu vaccine might be unnecessary for egg allergic people - just like the concern over the MMR in years past.

Apparently most egg allergic children do not react to the vaccine. Unfortunately our daughter did. She reacted to the test with 1/10 of the vaccine and she reacted to the full dose in the skin test. She was an unusual case apparently. All of the doctors and interns at the clinic that day came in to see her back to see the test results.

Just thought that I would pass on this information. Other egg allergic people might be able to get the vaccine if they are skin tested first. Especially people who are at risk of complications from the flu - people with asthma etc.

Thanks for passing this on. I didn't realize that they did testing for this.

Thank you for the information katec! That's very interesting. We will have to look into that for our son.

My son received his MMR and his flu shot in the allergists office. They first skin tested him, then injected just a tiny bit - waited and then completed the doses...

He is allergic to egg but did not seem to react to either shot. We go tomorrow for his second dose of the flu shot at our family doctor's office - we will just stay at the office for a while afterwards....

My sons are both severely egg allergic, but also asthmatic. Their doctor felt it was worth the risk (which is apparently very, very, very small) to have them immunized. They have their shots in the pediatric ward at the hospital under close supervision, then we stick around for a couple of hours afterwards. They have now had 4 flu shots, and thier MMR without any reaction.

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

Lest my former ignorance should lead anyone astray...our new allergist has said unequivocally "NO FLU SHOT" for my sons. He feels that anyone with a prior history of anaphylactic reactions to egg should not have the flu shot...not even with a scratch test with the vaccine beforehand. He said that the risks far outweigh any benefits.

We've had 5!!! Under varying degrees of medical supervision, sometimes with a scratch test beforehand, sometimes not, but all at the urging of other doctors, because of my sons' asthma. Thank goodness neither of them ever had a serious reaction (I thought that one had had a mild reaction once, but the doctor at the time assured me that it wasn't related to the shot...now I'm questioning this...).

I am slightly confused about all of this. Is the risk of reacting overblown like Katec said in her previous post? We did have 5 flu shots, without any major reaction, and both of my sons are confirmed anaphylactic to egg. Either way I'd rather err on the side of caution anyway, and I'm glad that the new Dr. has a conservative approach.

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

We only considered the flu shot because we were at Sicks Kids and had some of the best allergists and emergency doctors close by and would be monitoring our daughter. In the end, when she tested positive to a diluted tiny sample of the vaccine, we didn't take the risk. I believe the allergists who attended us that day would not have recommended her even going this far if we were in a different setting.

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11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

Hello to everyone.I'm new to this forum .I heard goods things about it..

I don't know why it is not better advertised, but there IS a flu vaccine that is not in a shot form. There is a nasal flu vaccine, that reportedly does not contain egg. Most doctor's do not carry it in the office as it is not used often, but you can call and request it ahead of time and they will order it in for you. Then you can be vaccinated, and not have to worry about the egg exposure. I have not tried it out, as I don't mind taking our chances with the flu. If you are concerned, ask your doctor for more info, or search it online.

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Daughter #1 eczema, asthma, and allergic to eggs, dairy, beef, nuts, soy, wheat, dogs, cats, and grass
Husband intolerant to dairy, allergic to grass and dust
Daughter #2 "outgrew" allergy to dairy and egg

Do you mean this nasal-spray flu vaccine LAIV (FluMist®)?
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/about/qa/nasalspray.htm
It sounded good but alas, contraindications for asthma or egg allergies.

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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

Thanks for that correction! I will do my homework before passing along hearsay next time!

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Daughter #1 eczema, asthma, and allergic to eggs, dairy, beef, nuts, soy, wheat, dogs, cats, and grass
Husband intolerant to dairy, allergic to grass and dust
Daughter #2 "outgrew" allergy to dairy and egg