What if you could end your hay fever (allergic rhinitis) symptoms for good? A new hay fever vaccine could make this possible by preventing or reducing common seasonal allergy symptoms in just a few easy steps.

The Benefits

Unlike medications that have to be taken regularly for short-term allergy symptom relief, and allergy shots that can take several years to be fully effective against allergy triggers, the new hay fever vaccine requires only four doses to be given to patients over the course of three months in order to gain maximum effectiveness in preventing allergic reactions to seasonal triggers. Better yet, the vaccine not only works quickly to achieve a similar effect as long-term immunization therapy but it does so without any serious risks or side effects.

How the Hay Fever Vaccination Works

Currently under development by a company in Oxford, UK, the new hay fever vaccine relies on a "T-cell approach" that incorporates synthesized sections of molecules from the allergy trigger instead of using whole allergens in order to create a desensitization effect. This approach eliminates the need to increasingly build up to large doses over time to prevent an immune system reaction. So you can accomplish your goal in just a few months.

Research Findings

A study of 50 participants that was performed in Quebec to test the effectiveness of the new vaccine had very positive results. After undergoing the four vaccine doses, patients experienced a 30 percent reduction in eye allergy symptoms compared with their counterparts who were given a placebo. Many participants found that their allergic skin reactions also improved by more than 50 percent.

Researchers are now testing the hay fever vaccine on a much larger group to see if the results stay true. If so, scientists hope that this treatment option will be available to the public in the near future.

What This Means for You

If you're frustrated with taking medications to deal with your ongoing allergy symptoms and find that getting regular allergy shots are inconvenient, you'll want to talk to your doctor and find out when this hay fever vaccination will be available in the U.S. Similar vaccines are also being created to deal with other allergy triggers, so you'll probably want to stay on top of the progress of these, too.

The good news is that once this form of treatment is offered for the general public—if your doctor feels you're a good candidate—you may finally have a good shot at getting your hay fever allergies under control.

 


 

Sources:

"Allergy Portfolio." Circassia. Circassia, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.

Creticos, PS et al. "Immunotherapy with a Ragweed-Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonist Vaccine for Allergic Rhinitis." N England Journal of Medicine (355) (2006): 1445-55. Web, 11 Oct. 2011.

"Hay fever vaccine on the horizon." Vaccine News Daily. Vaccinenewsdaily.com, 9 June 2010. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

Rattue, Grace. "Allergy Symptoms Improved By Hay Fever Vaccine." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Sep. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

Smith, Michael. "Hay Fever Vaccine Nothing to Sneeze At." MedPage Today. MedPage Today, 4 Oct. 2006. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.