CDC: New Recommendations for Influenza Vaccine With Egg Allergies

The CDC has published updated guidelines for patients with egg allergy who are receiving the influenza vaccination. Influenza vaccinations have a small amount of egg proteins, which have previously led to precautionary measures when immunizing patients with an egg allergy.

However, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently revised its recommendations after analysis indicated that there is a low amount of egg protein in vaccines, making an allergic reaction unlikely. Supporting this conclusion, the Vaccine Safety Datalink study found a rate of 1.35 cases of anaphylaxis per 1 million administrations of the influenza vaccine.

To help clinicians make decisions about vaccination precautions, the CDC has published an algorithm.

Some of the new recommendations include:

• Thirty-minute observation of people with egg allergies after receiving an influenza vaccine is no longer necessary.
• In individuals with a severe reaction, which would include any symptom other than hives, vaccination can occur in a medical setting under the supervision of a care provider who is qualified to manage severe allergic reactions.

These new recommendations are a departure from the previous guideline stating that everyone with a history of egg allergy should be observed for 30 minutes after the vaccination and that vaccination should only be administered by a physician skilled in management of severe allergic reactions.

—Lauren LeBano

Reference

1. McNeil MM, Weintraub ES, Duffy J, et al. Risk of anaphylaxis after vaccination in children and adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016;137:868-878.