April 14, 2016
#SaveAllergyShots, allergies, allergy shots

This morning, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) sent The Asthma Center an early preview of a manuscript which will be published later in the year. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have confirmed the safety of allergy shots! No infectious related events occurred in more than 130,000 injections given to over 3,000 patients in a 10 year time frame (Balekian DS, Banerji A, Blumenthal K, Camargo Jr. CA, Long AA, Allergen Immunotherapy: No Evidence of Infectious Risk, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunotherapy 2016). In our experience at The Asthma Center over the past 25 years, we have administered more than an estimated million allergy shots with no infectious complications. Our extracts are prepared through compounding allergen extracts in our allergy laboratory and are customized and personalized for each individual patient’s allergic sensitivity. For many with allergies, allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy) are a crucial part of their medical management plan. Individuals with moderate to severe allergies often don’t find relief with medications or with attempts to avoid the environmental allergens which trigger their symptoms. The statistics can be staggering: Up to 30% of the U.S. population is suspected to have allergies, with the costs of treatments estimated to be in the billions and visits to doctors and lost days from school and work estimated to cost millions. Here at The Asthma Center, we focus on the toll on an individual’s health and quality of life. That is why our specialists are on the forefront on issues of safety and access to allergy shots. These efforts are beyond our day-to-day commitment to preparing and providing the highest quality allergen extract to our patients. We’ve also seen firsthand the difference allergy shots can make in controlling symptoms and improving daily life.

#SaveAllergyShots Update

In February 2016, The Asthma Center and NBC10 broke the story in the Delaware Valley that patient access to allergy shots was in danger of being dramatically limited. If you didn’t get a chance, be sure to watch Dr. Marc Goldstein’s interview http://bit.ly/1Sq8ttF. Access to allergy shots is threatened because an advisory board (United States Pharmacopeia-USP) has made recommendations to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) about changing the regulations for compounding medications in general. The new regulations were in response to serious reports of infections that occurred with compounding, but not with compounding related to allergy shots. If the new regulations are approved, it will be unlikely that allergists will be able to continue preparing allergen extracts in the office. Nearly 16,000 supporters have signed the AAAAI petition for the FDA to keep regulations regarding allergy shots the way they are currently. Many of The Asthma Center patients have already signed and it’s not too late. The FDA has yet to rule on the recommendations. Please help us #SaveAllergyShots –Sign and share the AAAAI petition today https://www.change.org/p/united-states-pharmacopeia-save-patient-access-to-allergy-shots