For the egg allergic children, a dose of flu vaccine may be OK (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - suffering children from allergies eggs may be able to safely get their vaccine influenza in a single dose, as well as other children, a new study suggests.

Because the flu vaccine is grown in eggs of hens, have traditionally been concerns about the safety of the influenza vaccine for people with allergies egg - young children whose most is.

To be safe, children suffering from allergies egg often get their flu shot divided into smaller doses. For example, they could get 10% of the dose, and then if they have no allergic reaction receive the rest of the dose 30 minutes later.

Children with a history of severe allergic reaction to eggs could get up to five small doses.

However, vaccines against influenza of today contain actually "extremely small" amounts of egg protein, said Dr. Susan Laubach, the principal investigator on the new study and a doctor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

And studies have been suggesting that influenza vaccination is safe for most of the children with egg allergies. A study of last year in the journal Pediatrics found that 171 children allergic to eggs who received two doses flu shot, more than 95 per cent had no significant response. Some had mild symptoms such as hives, and itching.

The new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology & allergy, watched the safety of single-dose vaccination.

Laubach and his colleagues have examined the records of 152 patients allergic to eggs - especially young children — who had already obtained a seasonal influenza vaccine or vaccine against the "flu" in the 2009-2010 flu season.

All patients underwent a con-skin tests to see if they were likely to have an immune reaction to the vaccine against influenza. Only one child had a positive skin test, while six had imprecise results. Thus, most of the study group has received a dose single vaccinated against flu.

Overall, the team of Laubach concluded, none of the patients had a severe reaction to the vaccine, it received a single dose or divided doses. That included 22 percent of patients with a history of severe reactions to egg.

"The results of this study, combined with others, suggest that most of the children with egg allergy can probably receive the vaccine against influenza safely," Laubach said Reuters Health.

The latter results also suggest that many children can be vaccinated, literally, in a swoop - which would offer the advantage of having to jab young children only once.

However, more research is necessary to confirm that, according to Laubach. She said that a clinical trial is now underway comparing the vaccination doses single and two children allergic to the egg.

These clinical trials, Laubach noted, "are our gold standard for the evidence."

For the moment, she recommended that parents of children with egg allergies speak with their doctor about flu vaccination.

In General, experts recommend that children age every 6 months or more old get an annual flu shot.

Although flu not entail more than a week or misery in most children, children aged 5 at increased risk for complications of influenza, such as bronchitis, pneumonia and sinus infections.

There are probably many children with allergies eggs who never received the vaccination against influenza, noted Laubach. "I hope that will change in the future," she said.

It is estimated that approximately 1.5 per cent of children are allergic to eggs, according to the American College of Allergy, asthma and Immunology.