Fairfax County will not vaccinate kids with history of egg allergies

[Anonymous]

FYI to all planning to go to the Fairfax County clinics: I learned today that if the patients have any history of egg allergy, they will not be given the H1N1 vaccine. This is because at a mass clinic (without a doctor on site) the nurses' ability to individually determine the risk of the egg-derived vaccine to each individual child is too limited. Therefore, they have made this blanket rule. I wish FFX County were publicizing this restriction, but it's not, so I figured I'd post it here before you waste your time in line.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the heads up.

My son is allergic to eggs, and I got him vaccinated last weekend in DC (Coolidge--no line mid-day!). There was a question on the form asking if he had an egg allergy, and I lied & said no (figuring that if I said yes he'd be turned away). I know how he reacts to eggs (itchy rash), and it's nothing compared to what the flu would do (he has athsma).

[Anonymous]

Pretty standard, I think.

I believe the general thought is that kids with egg allergies should be given it at the allergist's office with the shot SPT'd first.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just to clarify, I understand the concern about kids who are allergic to eggs. I'm flagging this because the clinic turned away my son who is NOT allergic to eggs. He USED TO BE allergic when he was an infant, but he later passed a food challenge with an allergist and is no longer allergic. However, the clinic says they won't even vaccinate people who used to be allergic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Just to clarify, I understand the concern about kids who are allergic to eggs. I'm flagging this because the clinic turned away my son who is NOT allergic to eggs. He USED TO BE allergic when he was an infant, but he later passed a food challenge with an allergist and is no longer allergic. However, the clinic says they won't even vaccinate people who used to be allergic.

Thanks for the heads up. My son is the same way, used to be allergic but passed a food challenge. Our allergist said we should get the Vac asap.

[Anonymous]

penguinsix wrote:So did he have an egg reaction to the flu virus?

17:03 here (mom who lied about her son's egg allergy). He had no immediate reaction, but got a really awful rash three days later. I don't know whether there's a connection.

I hadn't mentioned in my initial post that he's gotten egg-based flu shots before, and this year when he got his seasonal flu shot his pediatrician said she didn't need to observe him afterward or take any precautions, since there had been no problems the year before. So I figured those rules applied to the H1N1 shot as well.