Anaphylaxis

If you are planning to travel abroad, you may need to get a vaccine before you go. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend various vaccines for individuals who are traveling to overseas destinations, and these vaccines can provide critical protection against diseases that do not present a threat in the United States.

The CDC maintains an online database of recommended travel vaccines, and you can search the CDC’s travel vaccine database based on the country (or countries) to which you are planning to travel.

For individuals who are allergic to gelatin or egg protein, getting immunized with certain vaccines can carry the risk of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic (or “hypersensitivity”) reaction; and, while it is rare overall, it presents a significant concern for individuals who have these allergies. As a result, prior to getting vaccinated, individuals who have gelatin or egg protein allergies should consult with their physicians to determine whether it is safe to do so.

Which Vaccines Contain Gelatin?

Gelatin is used as a preservative in various vaccine formulations. For example, gelatin may be present in vaccines including (but not limited to) those used to prevent:

• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP)

• Influenza (nasal spray formulations)

• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and the separate vaccinations for each of these diseases

• Rabies

• Singles

• Varicella (chickenpox)

Which Vaccines Contain Egg Protein?

Egg protein is used in the production of certain vaccines.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is one of the standard childhood vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also recommends MMR vaccination for adults who have not previously been vaccinated. Like all CDC-recommended vaccines, the MMR vaccine is generally safe for most people.

When getting vaccinated, it is important to be aware of both the side effects of the particular vaccine as well as the signs of related vaccine illnesses and injuries. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain, “Usually vaccine side effects are minor .

Having an allergic reaction to a vaccine can potentially lead to serious consequences. A severe allergic reaction is known as anaphylaxis, and the effects of anaphylaxis can range from swelling and hives to anaphylactic shock.

So, how can you find out if you are allergic to a vaccine?

Consult with Your Doctor

As with all medical questions, if you would like to find out if you are allergic to a vaccine, you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor can review your medical history, order any necessary tests and determine if you are at risk of having a severe allergic reaction to a particular vaccine.

Review the Vaccine’s List of Ingredients

When someone says that he or she is allergic to a vaccine, what that person really means is that he or she is allergic to a particular vaccine ingredient.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended vaccines. The CDC

Getting the flu shot is important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend it for most people, and scientific research has shown that the flu shot protects millions of Americans against influenza each year.

However, getting the flu shot can also result in adverse reaction.

Each year, hundreds of people seek financial compensation for vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. Many more suffer injuries and illnesses that are never reported; and, as researchers continue learn more about the risks associated with different types of vaccinations, more types of injuries and illnesses are being recognized as vaccine-related.

There are two primary ways that vaccine recipients can experience complications from their immunizations: (i) adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients, and (ii) errors during vaccine administration.

1. Adverse Reactions to Vaccine Ingredients

Individuals who experience adverse reactions to vaccine ingredients can face a variety of medical consequences.

Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) choose the specific strains to be targeted with the annual flu shot based upon an examination of thousands of influenza virus samples collected from patients worldwide. The selection process is not easy, and the challenges involved in choosing the most-effective formulation of the flu vaccine in any given year are largely to blame for the flu shot’s limited effectiveness in recent years.

Now, however, scientists may have found a more-effective way to choose vaccines for future seasons. Using new “HINT” technology, scientists believe that it may now be possible to better identify the flu strains that most likely to infect people year to year.