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 | Influenza season is here, and the news is filled with stories of young children dying from the flu. Most people who have fatal infections as a result of the flu are the very young, very old, and people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, COPD, heart disease and diabetes. However, even healthy older children and adults can die from the flu. Therefore, it is extremely important that everyone (unless they have a contraindication) with asthma get vaccinated with the influenza vaccine as soon as possible. If you have concerns about whether you should get the flu shot, check with your doctor right away. In the past, people with egg allergy were told not to get the flu shot. Recent studies have shown that most people, even with severe egg allergy, can safely tolerate the influenza vaccine. It is still important for people with egg allergy to check with their doctor -- or even better, their allergist -- in order to get the influenza vaccine under the direct supervision of a physician, given that there is a small chance of an allergic reaction occurring. | |
Asthma and the Flu
Influenza is a respiratory virus that causes illness characterized by fever, runny nose, cough, body aches and sore throat. It occurs as two forms, influenza A and B, both of which can mutate (change genetic makeup) from year to year. Influenza A viruses are categorized into subtypes on the basis of two surface proteins, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Influenza B undergoes less mutation than Influenza A, and is not categorized into subtypes. Influenza C causes only mild illness and is not categorized into subtypes.
| Influenza Vaccine and Egg Allergy
The influenza vaccine is produced using chick embryos, and therefore may contain a small amount of egg protein. This egg protein may cause a severe allergic reaction in a person with an egg allergy. Since the amount of egg protein may vary from one year to the next, an egg-allergic person may tolerate the vaccine one year, but not the next.
| Vaccines and Food Allergy
Millions of routine childhood vaccinations are given every year in the United States; allergic reactions from these vaccines are extremely rare. However, some people with certain food allergies may be at higher risk for allergic reactions as a result of vaccines containing certain food proteins. Up to 8% of children suffer from food allergies, with egg being one of the most common foods to which children are allergic. Many routine childhood immunizations contain traces of egg protein or other food ingredients. As a result, there is the possibility that a child with food allergies will experience anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) as a result of receiving a vaccination.
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