The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has launched our new Ask the Allergist knowledge base. Kids With Food Allergies (KFA) is the food allergy division of AAFA.
For more than 20 years, AAFA’s board-certified allergists have answered your allergy and asthma questions through our Ask the Allergist service. Now we have compiled the most common questions people have submitted, along with their responses, into a searchable knowledge base. It includes questions and answers on food allergies, as well as asthma, allergies, eczema, and more.
Here’s a few of the food allergy questions and answers you’ll find in the knowledge base:
Can people really outgrow food allergies?
Question: My child tested positive for several allergies when he was a toddler. He is allergic to peanuts but has eaten food with peanuts since. He’s outgrown his egg and milk allergy. He also doesn't break out in hives now. But has he really outgrown these allergies forever?
Answer: If your son can eat a full serving of peanuts or peanut butter, it’s likely he’s now tolerant to peanuts. That said, it’s possible for the allergy to come back. The risk of this happening would be very low – especially if he is eating peanuts regularly. This may help maintain his tolerance to peanuts. Learn more about the diagnosis of food allergies.
Should someone with food allergies get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Question: I would like information about the COVID-19 vaccines. My 21-year-old daughter is allergic to sesame, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, and fish. She always carries injectable epinephrine with her for emergencies (which has happened half a dozen times since she was 3 years old). What are the recommendations for getting a vaccine?
Answer: The COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for people with food allergies. The vaccines (shots) do not contain any food proteins, allergens, or derivatives. People with allergies to pets, insects, venom, pollen, dust, latex, and oral medicines can also get the shot.
Some people have a history of allergic reactions to a vaccine or biologic medicine. If this is the case, the CDC recommends talking to your doctor before getting the shot.
To use the Ask the Allergist knowledge base:
- Search the knowledge base by clicking the “Search” button at the top of the page. Enter keywords, choose specific conditions, date ranges, and more. Or you can browse all of the questions.
- Comment on existing questions. To comment and discuss a question, join our AAFA online community (or log in if you’re already a member). If you already have a KFA account, you will still have to create a new account on the AAFA site to comment on Ask the Allergist questions.
- Submit questions of your own. While in the Ask the Allergist knowledge base, click “You can submit your own question to Ask the Allergist.” Or click the button below.
We hope you find AAFA’s Ask the Allergist knowledge base to be helpful. We’ll be adding to the knowledge base, so check back often.
Remember, we can only give general advice through this service, and we can’t answer questions about specific consumer products. It can help you as you manage your child’s food allergies, but it can’t replace the valuable relationship you have with your child’s doctor. Always talk with your child’s doctor before changing your child’s allergy or asthma management plan.
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