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Post by nicole on May 26, 2009 8:14:52 GMT -5
Antibiotics are present in some vaccines and are used to prevent bacterial contamination during manufacture. Because antibiotics can cause severe allergic reactions in children (like hives, swelling at the back of the throat, and low blood pressure), some parents are concerned that antibiotics contained in vaccines might be harmful. However, antibiotics most likely to cause severe allergic reactions (e.g., penicillins, cephalosporins and sulfa drugs) are not contained in vaccines.
Antibiotics used during vaccine manufacture include neomycin, polymyxin B, streptomycin and gentamicin. Only neomycin is contained in vaccines in detectable quantities (see table below). However, small quantities of neomycin contained in some vaccines has never been clearly found to cause severe allergic reactions.
Therefore, the possibility that the trace quantities of antibiotics contained in vaccines cause severe allergic reactions remains, at best, theoretical.
References
Goh CL. Anaphylaxis from topical neomycin and bacitracin. Aust J Dermatol. 1986;27:125-126.
Kwittken PL, Rosen S, Sweinberg SK. MMR vaccine and neomycin allergy. Am J Dis Child. 1993;147:128-129.
Leyden JJ, Kligman AM. Contact dermatitis to neomycin sulfate. JAMA 1979;242:1276-1278.
MacDonald RH, Beck M. Neomycin: a review with particular reference to dermatolgical usage. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1983;8:249-258.
Yunginger JW. Anaphylaxis. Curr Prob Pediatr. 1992;22:130-146.
Reviewed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
Date: March 2008
www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75810
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