The Food Allergy Asssistant received many comments on the post related to HINI vaccine and egg allergy. There is much confusion and alarm for our children with egg allergies who are affected by the egg-based method for making flu vaccine. I've done more research and this is what I found:
There is much interest in a cell-based flu vaccine that would be safe for those with egg allergy.The technology currently used to make our chicken egg-based flu vaccine is over 50 years old.The new technology is animal cell based, rather than egg based. This process could save weeks in manufacture time and is less likely to become contaminated.
One company, Novartis, is close. They are building a plant in Holly Springs, NC with hopes of completion in 2010 or 2011. Novartis clinical trials of a cell based flu vaccine in the U.K. have been successful. The Wall Street Journal reports possible U.S. shipment of cell-based swine flu vaccine in December or January.
Let's keep in touch. We may be able to get cell-based flu vaccine this season. My hope would be that it goes to allergist offices first...
Check out this NY Times article regarding cell-based flu vaccine.
4 comments:
The first swine flu vaccinations have today started in the UK. Seriously ill hospital patients are among the first to receive the jab. 11 million vaccinations will be rolled out from Monday the 26th of October. Swine Flu in the UK
Thanks for the link, Sean. Interesting, in UK, children are not routinely receiving swine flu vaccine, while in US, kids are the first to get the vaccine. We've been vaccinating children under the age of 10 for a few weeks now with intent to roll out vaccine to other groups.
Thank you so much for posting this. A friend asked me today about the vaccine as her daughter has an egg allergy. I am going to send her your way!
I like this information on this type of allergy is really all you can learn about these things, thanks for sharing the information!
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