Should children with allergies be vaccinated? What precautions are required for atopic or egg-sensitive children?
Asthma, eczema, hay fever and allergies are not contraindications to any vaccine on the childhood schedule. An important exception is anaphylactic sensitivity to eggs, characterised by generalised hives, swelling of the mouth or throat, difficulty breathing, wheeze, low blood pressure, and shock. If a person has a history of severe egg allergy, influenza, yellow fever and Q fever vaccines should not be given. Because MMR vaccines viruses are not cultured in eggs and the vaccine does not contain egg protein, MMR can be given safely to those with anaphylactic sensitivity to eggs.3 Simple dislike of eggs or having diarrhoea or stomach pains after eating eggs are not reasons to avoid MMR and these children require no special precautions. These children can also have all other routine vaccines without special precautions.
