Alpha-gal allergy, medications and vaccines
Question:
5/25/2018
A few patients in my practice with alpha gal IgE, are very careful about avoiding all mammalian meat and also dairy and gelatin. They are very concerned about any medication or vaccine containing gelatin, but also having been made with beef products such as broths or mediums or milk protein which includes many medications and vaccines. Is there any data of alpha-gal IgE patient’s reacting to vaccines or medications? How careful do they need to be?
Answer:
I asked Dr. Scott Commins, a recognized expert in alpha-gal allergy at UNC, to comment. See his response below:
"The answer is that a minority of patients with alpha-gal allergy appear to be reactive to mammalian-based ingredients in some medications and vaccines. It’s not possible, yet, anyway, to test for this reactivity or relate it to IgE levels (this is an area of ongoing investigation). In general, if someone is able to tolerate dairy, they are very likely to be fine with gelatin and medications. If they lose tolerance to dairy, then I take it on a case-by-case basis."
Best regards,
Daniel Jackson, MD, FAAAAI