Vaccines containing latex may be triggering allergic reactions to common products, like baby pacifiers.
Millions of children worldwide are being injected with latex allergens over and over again in connection with vaccination schedules, often starting with the Hepatitis B vaccine when babies are only a few hours old. Is it any wonder that latex allergy affects millions and that the numbers are increasing?
The presence of latex allergens in vaccines is due to leaching from syringe tip caps, plungers and multi-dose vial stoppers.
Many suffer from latex allergy
According to WebMD,
In the US 1 – 5% of the population suffer from latex allergy. It is increased in groups who are regularly exposed to latex. Symptoms of latex allergy have been described in 54% of staff in a pediatric emergency department.
Latex allergy probably is more common in children and in younger working adults because of the increased medical and/or occupational exposure over the past two decades.(1)
Exactly. The reason why latex allergy is more common in children is most likely due to “medical exposure,” for example vaccinations!
Many who suffer from latex allergy are also allergic to several types of fruit
The prevalence of latex allergy is increased in persons with allergies to avocado, banana, chestnut, kiwi, papaya, peach, or nectarine. Cross-reacting antigens have been found between these tropical fruits and latex.(1)
Symptoms of latex allergy
Symptoms range from skin rashes and swelling, hives, nasal congestion, swelling of the lips and tongue, sneezing, wheezing, breathlessness to anaphylaxis, the life-threatening allergic reaction that can constrict airways in the lungs and cause death.
Little is known about the safety of vaccinating people who are allergic to latex
There is little scientific information regarding the safety of vaccination of latex allergic persons.
In a press release in June 2001 Professor Robert Hamilton, professor of medicine, John Hopkins University, stated:
If a drug is sold and stored in vials with a natural rubber stopper, no matter what precautions you take, latex allergens can contaminate that drug.
The FDA has asked for evidence that such allergens are present in pharmaceutical vials and that they can induce reactions in individuals already allergic to latex. Now we can provide it to them.
Until the FDA requires all vials to be labeled as “containing natural rubber” for easy identification and that the stoppers be latex free, some sensitized individuals will be at risk for a potentially serious or fatal allergic reaction.(2)
Latex allergens can be present in all vaccines which have latex in the syringe plungers, tip caps and multi-dose vial stoppers.
Which vaccines contain latex allergens?
Information for all vaccines can normally be found in vaccine package inserts.
A list of vaccines which have latex in the packaging is also issued by CDC (Centers for Disease Control). (3) In reality this is a list of vaccines which contain latex allergens. It is regularly updated because both vaccines and types of syringe tip caps, plungers and vial stoppers are often changed.
Some vaccines which at present (June 2012) contain latex allergens include anthrax (Bio Thrax), Comvax, DTaP ( Infanrix, and Tripedia), DT (Generic), Hib (Hiberix, PedvaxHIB and ActHIB), Hepatitis A (Havrix and Vaqta), Hepatitis B, (Engerix-B and Recombivax HB), HPV vaccine Cervarix, influenza vaccines (Fluarix, Fluvirin, Fluzone and Agriflu),Kinrix, meningococcal vaccine Menomune, Pediarix, polio vaccine IPOL, Rotarix (applicator), Td vaccines (Decavac, Tenivac and Generic), Tdap vaccines ( Adacel and Boostrix), TriHIBit, Twinrix and Yellow fever vaccine YF-Vax.
– so by following the recommended schedule children in US may get 20 – 30 vaccines which contain latex allergens before they are six years old!
CDC recommends vaccines which contain latex allergens for those who have latex allergy
Here is CDC’s recommendation:
“ For latex allergies other than anaphylactic allergies (e.g., a history of contact allergy to latex gloves), vaccines supplied in vials or syringes that contain dry natural rubber or rubber latex may be administered.” (3)
(In other words, as long as latex allergic patients haven’t had a previous severe anaphylactic shock, just go ahead and inject with latex allergen containing vaccines!)
CDC’s advice to vaccinate those who are latex allergic is contradictory to that which is given by unbiased experts who maintain that sources of latex should be avoided. It is also contradictory to common sense.
The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust Department of Dermatology gives this information to patients with latex allergy:
You must take every possible precaution to avoid contact with natural rubber latex.
Your present degree of allergy may be insufficient to cause a serious reaction. It is wise to avoid all rubber since the degree of allergy and thus your reaction can change with each contact.(4)
Examples where precautions should be taken include latex containing gloves, balloons, contraceptives, adhesive plasters and glues, shoes, textiles, swimming hats, hot water bottles, baby soothers, door/window insulation, urinary catheters, “drip” giving sets, intravenous tubing ports, syringe plungers and multi-dose injection vials.
It is a paradox that contact should be avoided with hot water bottles and balloons, yet CDC advises that latex allergen containing vaccines may be injected – over and over again!
Latex free packaging
Some vaccines are in syringes with latex free tip caps and plungers or in multi-dose vials with latex free stoppers. These are more expensive than those which contain latex. There is little information available concerning leaching of substances in latex free packaging.
Vaccines may also contain solid rubber latex particles
There is an additional problem to latex allergens in vaccines: Multi-dose vial stoppers are punctured with a needle in connection with dose withdrawals. The greater the number of punctures, the more possibility there is of rubber latex particles being released from the stoppers.
In connection with my work at a hospital I counted and identified particles in injections both before and after puncturing multi-dose vial stoppers. There were, as expected, more rubber particles after puncturing and the numbers were higher after several punctures.
As it is a well known fact that particles in injections may result in serious complications for patients I took the matter up with “the authorities”.
I contacted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and asked if there is a requirement for manufacturers of injections including vaccines to produce documentation concerning particulate matter after puncture of rubber stoppers.
It was surprising and disconcerting to see FDA’s answer which stated:
“TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO COUNT AND IDENTIFY PARTICLES AFTER VACCINE STOPPERS ARE PUNCTURED.”
This implies lack of specified quality requirements regarding vaccine stoppers.
The full version of the communication may be read here. (5)
Message to health authorities and other vaccine promoters
We don’t get bouncing babies by injecting them with vaccines which contain rubber latex allergens!
References
- http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/latex-allergy-treatments?page=2
- http://www.latexallergyresources.org/articles/vial-stoppers-johns-hopkins-press-release-june-8th-2001
- http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/latex-table.pdf
- http://www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/forpatients/090427patientinfoleaflets/110510latexallergy.pdf
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/59243842/Particles-in-Injections-Rev#fullscreen