Question: If I have an egg allergy, can I still get a flu vaccine?
Answer: Yes!
Current CDC Recommendation
Everyone 6 months and older, even those with an egg allergy, should receive an annual flu vaccine. Both egg-based and non-egg-based vaccines can be safely used in patients with an egg allergy. In 20 studies on giving flu vaccines made in eggs to egg-allergic persons, there have been no reports of severe reactions. to any vaccine are rare, and studies have found that severe allergic reactions in people with egg allergies is not thought to be caused by egg protein.
Vaccine Options
There are various types of flu vaccines available. Flucelvax is a non-egg-based vaccine that is approved for people 6 months and older. All other flu vaccines available are egg-based and include options such as Afluria, Fluarix, FluLaval, and Fluzone. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information on these different flu vaccine options.
How Are Egg-based Flu Vaccinations Made?
Egg-based flu vaccines are made through a process that uses an egg to house the vaccine but results in a vaccine that contains only a small amount of egg protein in the final product. Even though the vaccine does contain a small amount of egg protein, there are currently no reports showing a person with an egg allergy having a severe reaction after getting an egg-based vaccine.
What Other Vaccines May Contain Egg Proteins?
In addition to flu vaccines, other vaccines such as yellow fever vaccine and MMR vaccine may also contain egg proteins.
MMR or Vaccines with Varicella Components
Similarly to flu vaccines, the MMR vaccine contains low egg protein content and is safe to be used in patients with an egg allergy. Although there are rare cases of severe allergic reactions happening in patients after receiving the MMR vaccine, the reactions are not thought to be caused by the egg components of the vaccine.
Yellow Fever Vaccine
The CDC’s current recommendation for patients with an allergy to egg who are looking to receive a yellow fever vaccine for international travel, is that they should try to get a vaccine exemption waiver instead. However, if the vaccination is still recommended based on their travels, they should reach out to their provider to discuss other options. Though there are no reports of severe allergic reactions in people with egg allergies, the CDC has not updated their recommendation since 1984; which is why these recommendations differ from the flu and MMR vaccines which were most recently updated in 2024.
Prepared by Samantha Moya PharmD Candidate 2026
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1984, January 6). Recommendations of the immunization practices advisory committee (ACIP) yellow fever vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031094.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, August 25). Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices-United States, 2023-24 Influenza Season. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/rr/rr7202a1.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, July 15). International certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis (ICVP). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/icvp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, September 17). Flu vaccines and people with egg allergies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines/egg-allergies.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, April 23). Vaccination and immunoprophylaxis-general principles. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/preparing-international-travelers/vaccination-and-immunoprophylaxis-general-principles.html
