Vaccines and Food Allergies - Do I need to Worry? Is there a
problem with vaccines in people with food allergies? The quick
answer is yes and no. People with food allergies will be fine
with most vaccines. However, there are several vaccines that you
may need to be careful about. The main issue with food allergies
and vaccines has to do with eggs. In order to make vaccines,
some require the incubation of a virus in chicken eggs or
chicken embryo. This means that some egg proteins may end up in
some vaccines. In order to manufacture the flu vaccine
(including the H1N1 vaccine), the virus (influenza virus) is
grown in chicken eggs. In the past it was felt that individuals
allergic to eggs or chicken should not receive the flu vaccine.
However, recent studies show that egg allergic individuals can
safely receive the injectable flu vaccine. The latest guidelines
state that individuals who only develop hives with egg ingestion
can receive the injectable flu vaccine at their primary care
provider's office and be mo