Summary:
People who are allergic to eggs can get any vaccine (with or without egg protein) that is appropriate for their age and health. Beginning with the 2023-2024 season, no additional safety measures are recommended for people with egg allergies to receive the flu vaccine in addition to any recommended vaccines, regardless of how severe their previous reactions to eggs were. All vaccines should be administered in an environment with the personnel and equipment necessary to promptly identify and treat allergic reactions.
Most injectable and nasal spray flu vaccines are made using egg technology. Therefore, they contain small amounts of egg proteins, such as ovalbumin. However, studies using nasal spray vaccines and injectable flu shots in people with and without egg allergies suggest that people with egg allergies are less likely to develop severe allergic reactions.
Just as people who are allergic to eggs should get the flu shot, people with other allergies should not get it either. People who have had a severe allergic reaction to any other component of the flu vaccine should not receive a vaccine containing this component. Generally speaking, people who have had a severe allergic reaction to a flu shot in the past should not get another flu shot. However, they may receive certain flu vaccines, depending on which vaccine caused the allergic reaction. It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider and tell them if you have any allergies.
Questions and Answers:
Should people with egg allergies of any severity get the flu vaccine?
Everyone 6 months and older who is allergic to eggs should get a flu shot every year. Any flu vaccine (whether egg-raised or not) that is appropriate for the recipient’s age and health can be used.
Egg allergy does not indicate the need for additional flu vaccine safety measures beyond those recommended for any vaccine recipient, regardless of how severe the previous egg reaction was. Serious, life-threatening reactions to vaccines are rare but can occur with any vaccine and in any person who receives the vaccine, regardless of allergy history. All vaccines should be administered in an environment where the necessary personnel and equipment are available to quickly identify and treat acute allergic reactions.
Why does the flu vaccine contain egg protein?
Most current flu vaccines are produced through an egg-making process and therefore contain small amounts of egg protein, called ovalbumin.
How common are severe allergic reactions to vaccines?
Serious allergic reactions to vaccines, such as anaphylaxis, are rare. According to a Vaccine Safety Data Link study of more than 25.1 million doses of various vaccines given to children and adults, the incidence of anaphylaxis was 1.31 cases per 1 million doses of vaccine and 1.35 cases per million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine .
Although serious allergic reactions to vaccines are rare, they can occur in people with no known allergy. Therefore, it is recommended that all vaccines be administered in an environment where allergic reactions can be quickly identified and treated.
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