Children with any degree of egg allergy, including past anaphylaxis, can safely receive the yellow fever vaccine under specialist supervision, physicians say after reviewing a case series.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook says egg allergy is considered a contraindication to being vaccinated against yellow fever because of the high content of ovalbumin in the vaccine — more than that in the influenza vaccine.

However, paediatric vaccinologists say a case series presented at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians congress in Auckland may lead to guideline changes.

Trainee physician Dr Ketaki Sharma and colleagues identified 10 cases of children with egg allergies who received their vaccination at Sydney’s Westmead Children’s Hospital or Melbourne’s Royal Children’s hospital between 2013 and 2018.