Egg Allergy and the Flu Vaccine

Good news- today the NYC Department of Health announced that the H1N1 vaccine would be available for any interested person.

Do you want to be vaccinated for H1N1 but are allergic to eggs? This may pose a dilema for your doctor and you, but don't despair, there are ways around this.

First, talk to an allergist to be fully evaluated. Sometimes people think they have a food allergy but it's really just an intolerance to the food.

Your allergist can test you with the vaccine by scratching your skin with a small amount of the vaccine to see if you are truely allergic.

If the test is positive, and you still want the vaccine, your allergist can safely vaccinate you by following guidelines from the Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Your allergist will divide the total dosage of the vaccine into smaller doses. These will be injected every 15 minutes until you've received the total dosage. You'll need to be observed for 30 minutes after you receive the last dosage to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction.

So even if you have an allergy to eggs, there are ways to be protected against the flu virus, and H1N1.

Bottom line- get vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you!