Yellow fever vaccines are required to visit some tropical countries. However, the vaccine is cultured in eggs.
The NIAID clinical guidelines for food allergies caution against administering the yellow fever vaccines to patients with a history of severe allergic reactions to eggs or chicken. If you have a history of any of the following reactions to egg, you should avoid the yellow fever vaccine:
- Hives
- Angioedema
- Allergic asthma
- Anaphylaxis
If you have had a less severe reaction to eggs, chicken, or feathers, you can probably tolerate the yellow fever vaccine.
If you plan to travel to a region where yellow fever is a problem, it is possible to have allergy testing done with the vaccine itself to determine if it would be possible for you to tolerate it. Any attempt to try the vaccine should be done in a medical setting that can care for any potential reactions.
If testing determines that you have a potential for severe reaction to the vaccine, or if your doctor determines that it is not safe for you given your history of reactions, it is possible to get a medical waiver that will allow you to visit countries that require the yellow fever vaccination for entry.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (AICP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both endorse this approach to the yellow fever vaccine.
The expert panel that wrote the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) guidelines was made up of 34 professional organizations, federal agencies, and patient advocacy groups, including prominent allergists who specialize in food allergies.
Sources:
NIAID-Sponsored Expert Panel. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States: Report of the NIAID-Sponsored Expert Panel. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Volume 126, Issue 6, December 2010
