Recommendations for administering the triple viral vaccine and antiinfluenza vaccine in patients with egg allergy

Introduction

In Spain, the indications for the triple viral vaccine and antiinfluenza vaccine are established by the Vaccines Advisory Committee (VAC) of the Spanish Pediatrics Association. The calendar recommended for this year (2007) establishes a first triple viral vaccine dose at 12-15 months of age, followed by a second dose at 3-4 years of age. The indications for the antiinfluenza vaccine in the pediatric population have increased in recent years. Accordingly, among the recommendations for the campaign 2006-2007, the VAC included antiinfluenza vaccination of children with chronic illnesses, including respiratory disorders and specifically bronchial asthma¹. In the United States, the indications of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for this same vaccination campaign moreover included healthy children between 6-59 months of age². On the other hand, a continuous increase in atopic disorders is being observed, including food allergies, which affect 8 % of the pediatric population. Allergy to egg is the most common food allergy in this age group, and in 79 % of cases the disorder manifests before 5 years of age³. Thus, an increasing number of children with egg allergy are seen in which administration of the triple viral vaccine and antiinfluenza vaccine is indicated. In view of this problem, the Food Allergy Committee of the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology and Pediatric Allergy ( Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica y Alergia Pediátrica , SEICAP) has examined the subject with the purpose of defining a series of recommendations or guidelines. TRIPLE VIRAL VACCINE In Spain, two...