Egg Allergy and H1N1 Flu Shot Concerns

If you or one of your family members suffers from an egg allergy, there is no need to panic, but you will want to take certain precautions. As you probably know, many people, including many children, suffer from different kinds of food allergies. Many people are familiar with allergies to peanuts and/or tree nuts, but egg allergies are actually quite common as well. It comes down to building up your level of food awareness, that is, paying extra close attention to the ingredients of different foods. Some people are allergic to egg yolks, some to egg whites, and some to both.

When people suffer from an egg allergy, their immune systems go into overdrive with they ingest the specific proteins contained in eggs, causing a variety of symptoms, ranging from skin problems (like rashes around the mouth) to gastrointestinal problems (like bad stomachaches) to respiratory problems (which are generally considered the most serious). Some people are mildly allergic to eggs, whereas others are moderately or even severely allergic.

Egg allergies generally affect young children, but the good news is that many, many children who are allergic to eggs when they are young may end up outgrowing this allergy. If someone in your family is severely allergic to eggs, it is a good idea to keep eggs out of the house completely, because people who are severely allergic can experience an anaphylactic reaction, which interferes with their breathing. (For this reason, individuals with egg allergies always need to have an EpiPen on hand.)

If a child is severely allergic to eggs, the child’s pediatrician will probably not recommend that the child get a flu shot for either the seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu. However, if the child is only mildly allergic, the doctor may opt to give the child the flu shots because the amount of egg used in the vaccine is quite small. If you have concerns about your own child with regard to the flu shot, you can always seek a second opinion from another pediatrician.

The author of this Hub personally knows a family with a child who has a mild egg allergy. After much thought, research and discussions with their child’s pediatrician, the child’s parents decided to have their child’s pediatrician administer the H1N1 flu vaccine to their daughter, knowing that they would need to observe her very closely  for several days afterward to make sure she did not have an adverse reaction.

Fortunately, everything was fine in this particular case. This is not to say that every parent should make the same decision that this family did, only that it was the right solution for them and their daughter. If your child has a mild egg allergy, you will want to have a long, detailed conversation with your child’s pediatrician (and/or allergist) as you work on reaching your own decision about this important matter.