Can I get the vaccine if Im allergic to eggs, thimerosal or formaldehyde?
People with egg or chicken protein allergies are generally told not to take flu shots because the vaccine is produced in eggs. But Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, says the egg residue left in the vaccine after purification is small and that people with egg allergies who want to get the vaccine can do so if it is in a setting where they’ll be cared for by a doctor if they develop an allergic reaction. Trace amounts of thimerosal or formaldehyde are also used in vaccine production too. Those who have had allergic reactions to other vaccines should not get the flu vaccine without talking to their doctor or allergist.
