Vaccination of persons allergic to latex: a review of safety data in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

Vaccine products currently licensed in the US and other countries are marketed in vials and syringes that may contain natural latex allergens. Little scientific information exists regarding the safety of vaccination of latex-allergic individuals. A review of data within the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a large registry of reported possible vaccine adverse reactions was conducted. A search of the database, which contains >160,000 vaccine adverse event reports, revealed only 28 cases of possible immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions in vaccine recipients with a history of allergy to latex. Given the large number of immunizations administered every year in the US, the reported risk of allergic reactions possibly due to latex contamination of vaccines appears to be very small.