An egg-allergic patient should not receive which vaccination before skin testing?

An egg-allergic patient should not receive which vaccination before skin testing?

• A. Influenza
• B. Pneumococcal
• C. Varicella
• D. MMR

Answer: (A)

The test is about how egg allergy relates to vaccines. The influenza vaccine is the one most often produced in eggs and can contain egg protein (ovalbumin). In an egg-allergic patient, giving this vaccine before skin testing could provoke a reaction and complicate the assessment, so it should not be given prior to testing. The other vaccines listed are not made from egg protein in a way that would trigger an egg allergy, so they’re not contraindicated for this purpose. Note that current guidelines have liberalized influenza vaccination for egg-allergic individuals in appropriate settings, but the item reflects the historical concern about egg protein presence in the influenza vaccine.

The test is about how egg allergy relates to vaccines. The influenza vaccine is the one most often produced in eggs and can contain egg protein (ovalbumin). In an egg-allergic patient, giving this vaccine before skin testing could provoke a reaction and complicate the assessment, so it should not be given prior to testing. The other vaccines listed are not made from egg protein in a way that would trigger an egg allergy, so they’re not contraindicated for this purpose. Note that current guidelines have liberalized influenza vaccination for egg-allergic individuals in appropriate settings, but the item reflects the historical concern about egg protein presence in the influenza vaccine.