Small amounts of egg protein may be passed through the mother’s milk during breastfeeding. If the infant has no symptoms the mother can continue eating eggs. However, if the infant has any gut or skin symptoms, such as eczema, they may benefit from the mother trialling excluding eggs from her diet. If there is no improvement in symptoms after 2 weeks, eggs can usually be reintroduced back into the mother’s diet, although you should seek expert medical advice in this respect before doing so. 

Some people with an egg allergy can eat an egg that has been well cooked (for example egg as an ingredient in a cake) and will only develop allergic symptoms if they eat a loosely cooked egg (for example, scrambled egg) or raw egg (e.g. fresh mayonnaise or chocolate mousse). This is because the structure of the egg protein is changed by heat from cooking which makes it less likely to cause allergic symptoms. Around 80% of people with an egg allergy can tolerate a well-baked egg in a cake. 

 

Therefore not all people with an egg allergy need to avoid all forms of egg and this should be decided on an individual basis. It will depend on the severity of previous allergic reactions and the results of allergy testing. Your GP or allergy specialist should provide information on whether all forms of egg need to be avoided. In those who are allergic to well-cooked eggs, the reactions may be severe and strict avoidance of all egg and egg-containing foods is necessary. 

 

Where children have had mild to moderate reactions to eggs they may be asked to re-introduce eggs into the diet at home. Children who have had a severe reaction to eggs in the past should not be given eggs at home in any form until advised by a health professional – and then this is usually only done in the hospital under supervision as a well-baked egg challenge test where staff are trained to recognise and treat symptoms of an allergic reaction should it occur. 

If you suspect that you or your child may have an egg allergy, it is important to discuss this with a health professional. This will normally be your GP or Health visitor, who can offer further advice and recommend if allergy testing is needed.  

 

Allergy testing for egg can be done by a blood test and/or a skin prick test. The availability of access to these tests will vary from and may require referral to an allergy specialist for the testing and further management. Sometimes a diagnosis is made on the clinical history alone. 

The Influenza (flu) vaccine and the yellow fever vaccine are made by growing the vaccine in chicken eggs and small amounts of the protein can remain in the vaccine. 

 

The flu vaccine is part of the UK immunisation schedule for babies over 6 months, adults over 65, and those considered to be at high risk, including those with asthma requiring continuous use of inhaled or oral steroid treatment (NICE Guidelines on seasonal influenza). Yellow fever is a travel vaccine given to those visiting high-risk areas, so it is only required if travelling overseas to high-risk areas. 

 

Extra caution should be taken for those with a severe egg allergy that have required admission to intensive care for severe anaphylaxis to egg or have severe asthma or active wheezing or required recent oral steroids for their asthma -as it is possible to react to vaccines containing small amounts of egg protein (although this is very rare). In this case a referral to an allergy specialist for assessment on the risk versus benefit of receiving the flu vaccine to help decide whether the vaccine is needed and how and where the vaccine is to be given. 

 

Where there has been a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to a previous dose of the flu vaccine or a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to any part of the vaccine other than (Ovalbumin) the vaccine should NOT be given. 

 

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) can be safely given to all children with egg allergy even those that have had anaphylaxis. Sometimes it is developed on chick embryo cell cultures (not chicken egg) but is considered safe for egg-allergic children to have.