9 things to know about vaccines and allergic reactions

Misplaced fears about allergic reactions to vaccines should not delay or deter immunisations, a new position paper states.

After reviewing the evidence on vaccination and allergy, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has issued these nine items of advice:

1. Local reactions to vaccines are common and are mainly due to non-allergic immune reactions.
2. Anaphylaxis is rare, affecting fewer than 1 in 100,000 and