Yellow Fever is a disease transmitted by mosquito vector, which can lead to serious complications or even death. Treatment is supportive, with vaccination being the most important strategy in preventing the disease; providing immunity in more than 95% of people who receive the vaccine. Currently, many guidelines advise that egg anaphylaxis is a contraindication to receiving a yellow fever vaccine (YFV), with the Australian Immunisation Handbook recommending people requiring the vaccine discuss this with an immunologist or allergist due to the YFV containing egg ovalbumin.
Due to the serious nature of the disease, some countries requiring proof of immunisation as an entry requirement and the widely varying guidelines pertaining to YFV in egg-allergic people; researchers from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, have published a case series proposing that skin testing may not be required for patients with mild egg allergy, and that a 2-step graded challenge under medical supervision is a safe alternative.
Read more about their findings and recommendations here:
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: Yellow Fever Vaccination in EGG Allergic Children