HEALTH: Rare MMR vaccine reactions often due to gelatin

[Guest guest]

Pool V, Braun MM, Kelso JM, et al. Prevalence of anti-gelatin IgE

antibodies in people with anaphylaxis after measles-mumps rubella

vaccine in the United States. Pediatrics. 2002 Dec;110(6):e71.

 

Rare MMR vaccine reactions often due to gelatin

Last Updated: 2002-12-26 10:00:06 -0400 (Reuters Health)

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Severe allergic reactions to the

measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are rare, but when they occur they

may oftentimes be tied to the gelatin used in the vaccine, a US study confirms.

 

Researchers found that out of a small number of people believed to have

suffered serious allergic reactions to the MMR vaccine, about one

quarter showed hypersensitivity to gelatin. Gelatin is used as a heat

stabilizer in the manufacture of a number of vaccines, the study authors

note in the December online issue of the journal Pediatrics.

 

In most cases, reactions to MMR vaccination are fairly mild and include

a rash or fever. Rarely, serious allergic reactions marked by symptoms

such as breathing problems, hives and rapid heartbeat occur. Immediate,

severe reactions have sometimes been attributed to egg allergy because

the MMR vaccine is cultured (grown) in chick embryo cells and may

contain bits of egg proteins. But research has indicated that most MMR

reactions are not associated with egg allergies.

 

Gelatin, on the other hand, has been implicated in vaccine reactions in

recent years. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

advises that anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic

reaction to gelatin not get the MMR.

 

In the new study, a team led by Dr. Vitali Pool of the CDC in Atlanta,

Georgia looked at data from a national registry of adverse vaccine

reactions. Between 1991 and 1997, there were 168 " probable " or

" possible " serious allergic reactions to MMR vaccination. The

investigators were able to get blood samples from 22 of these people,

who ranged in age from 15 months to 33 years. They then compared the

samples with blood taken from 27 individuals with no history of serious

MMR reaction.

 

They found that 27% of those with MMR reactions had antibodies to

gelatin in their blood, indicating they were allergic. No one in the

other group had these antibodies, according to the report.

 

" Results from this study support the hypothesis that (allergic

reactions) after MMR vaccines can in some cases be attributable to

hypersensitivity to gelatin, " Pool's team writes.

 

They advise that anyone with a history of severe reaction to a

gelatin-containing vaccine be tested for antibodies to gelatin and other

potential allergens before getting another dose of any

gelatin-containing vaccine.

 

As for the roughly three quarters of MMR-reaction patients who did not

show sensitivity to gelatin, the cause of their reactions remains

unclear, according to the researchers. They call for more research to

unearth other causes of allergic reactions to vaccination.

 

***

SOURCE: Pediatrics 2002;110:e71.

2002 Reuters Limited.

[Guest guest]

Thanx for the article ..it is true ...one of my daughters has severe

allergies and was unable to take the mmr vaccine due to the gelatin

in it..she has an allergy to eggs also but the allergist said that

the gelatin would be what got her due to the protien in gelatin...so

no vaccine shot...... ,

WildMouse <wildmouse@i...> wrote:

>

>

> Pool V, Braun MM, Kelso JM, et al. Prevalence of anti-gelatin IgE

> antibodies in people with anaphylaxis after measles-mumps rubella

> vaccine in the United States. Pediatrics. 2002 Dec;110(6):e71.

>

> Rare MMR vaccine reactions often due to gelatin

> Last Updated: 2002-12-26 10:00:06 -0400 (Reuters Health)

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Severe allergic reactions to the

> measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are rare, but when they occur

they

> may oftentimes be tied to the gelatin used in the vaccine, a US

study confirms.

>

> Researchers found that out of a small number of people believed to

have

> suffered serious allergic reactions to the MMR vaccine, about one

> quarter showed hypersensitivity to gelatin. Gelatin is used as a

heat

> stabilizer in the manufacture of a number of vaccines, the study

authors

> note in the December online issue of the journal Pediatrics.

>

> In most cases, reactions to MMR vaccination are fairly mild and

include

> a rash or fever. Rarely, serious allergic reactions marked by

symptoms

> such as breathing problems, hives and rapid heartbeat occur.

Immediate,

> severe reactions have sometimes been attributed to egg allergy

because

> the MMR vaccine is cultured (grown) in chick embryo cells and may

> contain bits of egg proteins. But research has indicated that most

MMR

> reactions are not associated with egg allergies.

>

> Gelatin, on the other hand, has been implicated in vaccine

reactions in

> recent years. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC)

> advises that anyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic

> reaction to gelatin not get the MMR.

>

> In the new study, a team led by Dr. Vitali Pool of the CDC in

Atlanta,

> Georgia looked at data from a national registry of adverse vaccine

> reactions. Between 1991 and 1997, there were 168 " probable " or

> " possible " serious allergic reactions to MMR vaccination. The

> investigators were able to get blood samples from 22 of these

people,

> who ranged in age from 15 months to 33 years. They then compared

the

> samples with blood taken from 27 individuals with no history of

serious

> MMR reaction.

>

> They found that 27% of those with MMR reactions had antibodies to

> gelatin in their blood, indicating they were allergic. No one in

the

> other group had these antibodies, according to the report.

>

> " Results from this study support the hypothesis that (allergic

> reactions) after MMR vaccines can in some cases be attributable to

> hypersensitivity to gelatin, " Pool's team writes.

>

> They advise that anyone with a history of severe reaction to a

> gelatin-containing vaccine be tested for antibodies to gelatin and

other

> potential allergens before getting another dose of any

> gelatin-containing vaccine.

>

> As for the roughly three quarters of MMR-reaction patients who did

not

> show sensitivity to gelatin, the cause of their reactions remains

> unclear, according to the researchers. They call for more research

to

> unearth other causes of allergic reactions to vaccination.

>

> ***

> SOURCE: Pediatrics 2002;110:e71.

> 2002 Reuters Limited.