Flu Shots Are Safe Even If You’re Allergic To Eggs

Flu shots are safe for people with an egg allergy says a leading U.S. allergists’ group.

 

Doctors no longer need to question patients about egg allergy before giving the vaccine, according to an updated guideline from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

 

The fact is that when someone gets a flu shot, health care providers will often ask if they are allergic to eggs. The consensus is that there is no need to take any precautions.  This guideline is also consistent with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, (AAP).

 

Flu Shots: Positive Evidence

The overwhelming evidence since 2011 has shown that a flu shot poses no greater risk to someone with egg allergy than someone without. In fact, the flu vaccine does not contain enough egg protein to cause an allergic reaction.

 

That means patients don’t need to see an allergist to get the flu shot. Therefore, a long observation period after receiving the flu injection is unnecessary.

 

There are hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths in the United States every year due to flu. Most of this could be prevented with a flu shot.

 

 

 

Flu Shots: The 2017-2018 Flu Season

The announcement by the CDC and AAp is encouraging based on record-high influenza numbers in Australia, where flu season just wrapped up, U.S. health officials are bracing for a similar situation, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

 

Despite some criticisms of the flu shot, physicians maintain that getting one is a good idea. Current flu vaccines remain a valuable public health tool. Therefore, getting vaccinated is preferred.   That’s especially true with a potentially severe flu season heading our way.