The recently licensed recombinant egg-free influenza vaccine is recommended for influenza vaccination in adults aged 18-49 years with egg allergy of any severity for the 2013-2014 influenza season, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
At a meeting June 20, the committee voted 13-0 to recommend the vaccine, a trivalent recombinant hemagglutinin vaccine marketed as FluBlok, for this population.
FluBlok, manufactured by Protein Sciences, was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in January 2013 for annual influenza vaccination for the same population. It is the first recombinant hemagglutinin protein influenza vaccine, and is manufactured without the use of influenza virus or chicken eggs, so it does not contain any egg protein.
ACIP "recommends that individuals with a severe egg allergy consult with a physician about their allergic conditions prior to vaccination if FluBlok is not available," according to a CDC statement.