Safe Administration of Flu Vaccine to Egg Allergic Children

Summary

Historically, providing influenza vaccination of egg allergic children and young adults (EAC) with a history of anaphylaxis to egg, or other severe symptoms of an allergic reaction to egg (e.g., severe hives, swelling, or asthma), has been contra-indicated, though vaccination of children with less severe egg allergy has been shown to be safe. Though many children with severe egg allergy, including anaphylaxis, have received past influenza vaccination anecdotally, very few data exist to show this procedure is safe. The investigators propose a double blind, placebo-controlled randomized, prospective multi-centered study to a) demonstrate seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) can be safely given in a single dose (as opposed to through 2-step graded dosing of 10% then 90% of the vaccine dose) to EAC despite history of anaphylaxis or previous severe allergic reaction to egg; and b) provide further evidence that adverse outcomes are not related to ovalbumin (egg) content in TIV. Study participants must have a documented history of a severe egg allergy, substantiated by both a history of clinical reactivity AND either a positive skin test or ImmunoCAP/RAST test greater than 0.7 kUA/L. Participants will be randomized to receive either a 2-step graded challenge or a single dose given after a small placebo dose of saline (to mimic the graded challenge). If required, all participants will receive a booster vaccination as a single dose.

Timeline

Start

2010-10

Primary completion

2012-05

Completion

2012-08

Publications

• Background American Academy of Pediatrics. Influenza. In: Pickering LK, ed. Red Book: 2009 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 28th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009:400-412. Available at: http://aapredbook.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/2009/1/3.64. Accessed June 18, 2010.
• Background Howe LE, Chernin A, Sanders GM. Administration of Influenza Vaccine to the Egg Allergic Child Under 36 Months (Abstract). J Allergy Clin Immunol 2010; 125:AB23.
• Background Greenhawt MJ, Chernin AS, Howe L, Li JT, Sanders G. The safety of the H1N1 influenza A vaccine in egg allergic individuals. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010 Nov;105(5):387-93. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2010.08.015.
• Background Gagnon R, Primeau MN, Des Roches A, Lemire C, Kagan R, Carr S, Ouakki M, Benoit M, De Serres G; PHAC-CIHR Influenza Research Network. Safe vaccination of patients with egg allergy with an adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 vaccine. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Aug;126(2):317-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.05.037. Epub 2010 Jun 25.
• Background Sampson HA, Munoz-Furlong A, Campbell RL, Adkinson NF Jr, Bock SA, Branum A, Brown SG, Camargo CA Jr, Cydulka R, Galli SJ, Gidudu J, Gruchalla RS, Harlor AD Jr, Hepner DL, Lewis LM, Lieberman PL, Metcalfe DD, O'Connor R, Muraro A, Rudman A, Schmitt C, Scherrer D, Simons FE, Thomas S, Wood JP, Decker WW. Second symposium on the definition and management of anaphylaxis: summary report--Second National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network symposium. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Feb;117(2):391-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.12.1303.
• Background Chung EY, Huang L, Schneider L. Safety of influenza vaccine administration in egg-allergic patients. Pediatrics. 2010 May;125(5):e1024-30. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-2512. Epub 2010 Apr 5.
• Background Li JT, Rank MA, Squillace DL, Kita H. Ovalbumin content of influenza vaccines. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Jun;125(6):1412-3; author reply 1413-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.03.009. Epub 2010 May 7. No abstract available.
• Background Waibel KH, Gomez R. Ovalbumin content in 2009 to 2010 seasonal and H1N1 monovalent influenza vaccines. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Mar;125(3):749-51, 751.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.015. Epub 2010 Jan 8. No abstract available.
• Background James JM, Zeiger RS, Lester MR, Fasano MB, Gern JE, Mansfield LE, Schwartz HJ, Sampson HA, Windom HH, Machtinger SB, Lensing S. Safe administration of influenza vaccine to patients with egg allergy. J Pediatr. 1998 Nov;133(5):624-8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(98)70101-5.
• Background Zeiger RS. Current issues with influenza vaccination in egg allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002 Dec;110(6):834-40. doi: 10.1067/mai.2002.129372.
• Background Kelso JM. Administration of influenza vaccines to patients with egg allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Apr;125(4):800-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.02.013. Epub 2010 Mar 11. No abstract available.
• Background Greenhawt MJ, Li JT, Bernstein DI, Blessing-Moore J, Cox L, Khan D, Lang DM, Nicklas RA, Oppenheimer J, Portnoy JM, Randolph C, Schuller DE, Spector SL, Tilles SA, Wallace D. Administering influenza vaccine to egg allergic recipients: a focused practice parameter update. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Jan;106(1):11-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2010.11.015. No abstract available.
• Background Webb L, Petersen M, Boden S, LaBelle V, Bird JA, Howell D, Burks AW, Laubach S. Single-dose influenza vaccination of patients with egg allergy in a multicenter study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 Jul;128(1):218-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2011.02.013. Epub 2011 Apr 2. No abstract available.

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