There are 2 common misconceptions about allergy vaccines:

1. The word “vaccine” often generates worries or “fears” in the patient. This is understandable as there is an unending series of reports in the media of different problems that occur in patients that receive vaccines. These vaccines (administered by primary care doctors and pediatricians) are given to prevent infectious diseases and contain preservatives that are chemical substances that serve as stabilizers and allow the vaccines not to deteriorate and therefore be commercially available for a rather long time. To compound this problem, these stock vaccines sometimes carry live organisms. While the problems generated by the administration of stock vaccines can potentially be plentiful, those concerns do not refer to allergy vaccines. Allergy vaccines have absolutely no relationship to the vaccines used for the prevention of the flu and other diseases. No risks related to development of autism or other problems will occur because of the administration of allergy vaccines.
2. Another common misconception is the belief that allergy vaccines contain “steroids” (prednisone or similar drugs). Patients that receive an “allergy shot or vaccine” only once or twice a year, usually by their primary care doctor, are actually receiving an injection of steroids, which have absolutely no relationship to the administration of allergy vaccines.

The allergy vaccines administered at Associates in ENT & Allergy contain only natural products and therefore are unable to produce an adverse effect.

The proper name for the technique of administration of allergy vaccines is Allergy Immunotherapy. Allergy Immunotherapy is a very old treatment. Allergy shots have been in use for more than 100 years. The technique used at our office was described in 1935 by Herbert Rinkel, MD. It is probably the oldest treatment of modern medicine that is still in use. This attests to its usefulness and efficacy.

Until recently, the word “immunotherapy” meant Allergy Immunotherapy. At the present time, the word immunotherapy can also refer to the treatment of certain cancers. Speaking of immunotherapy without specifying could be misleading in modern times. In this website when the word immunotherapy is used, it refers to the administration of Allergy Vaccines either injectable or oral. Injectable allergy vaccines are properly known as Subcutaneous Injection Immunotherapy (SCIT) or simply “allergy shots”. Oral allergy vaccines are properly known as Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT). The term “Sublingual” is used because the most common route of administration of these oral vaccines is applying the drops under the tongue.

Click here for more information on injectable vaccines

Click here for more information on Oral Vaccines (Sublingual Immunotherapy)

Click here for definition of side effect

Click here for reactions related to allergy testing or immunotherapy administration

Click here for information regarding precautions from reactions to testing or immunotherapy administration