Swine-flu vaccine causes problems for people with Egg Allergies

The H1N1 flu that has taken the world by storm could be causing more problems than was first thought, particularly in Canada. Many of the swine flu vaccines involve the use of an egg to grow the vaccine and whilst the contamination of egg into the vaccine is of the smallest amount, it could still prove a problem for people who are allergic to eggs. There are other vaccines available which do not contain egg, but these are not being purchased in Canada as they continue to use GlaxoSmithKline who use egg-based vaccines.

People who do have an allergy to eggs are been told to consult their doctors as to what course of action to take regarding swine-flu medication. In a lot of cases it is thought that taking an egg-based vaccine will not cause a severe reaction, unless the allergy to eggs is of a high-risk nature. Equally, if the people you come into contact with are vaccinated, this could provide sufficient enough protection for you. It is a case of finding whether the vaccinations effects outweigh swine-flu effects and vice versa. If you are at a high-risk but need the injection, then doctors can closely monitor you and provide assistance should the vaccine have a dangerous effect.


People who do suffer from egg allergies should not be anymore worried about the possibility of contracting swine-flu than anyone else; there are many options available. The only concern lies in Canada where alternatives are scarcer and there are growing concerns for the welfare of people with egg allergies in relation to swine-flu. It is being argued that people who do have egg allergies cannot be expected to test the egg-based drugs in a clinic, but need medical supervision within a hospital. It is also thought that the Public Health Agency is making no attempts to purchase a second option vaccine for such cases.

Friday 20th November 2009



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