Safety principles during allergen immunotherapy conducted in doctor’s office

The efficacy and safety of allergen immunotherapy depend on the experience of the medical personnel and on the optimal organization of work at the medical center. Patients should be selected for allergen immunotherapy by an experienced physician with the adequate allergy training. This should include all indications and contraindications for treatment and the assessment of the potential risk of immunotherapy. Allergen immunotherapy whether administered subcutaneously or sublingually is a safe procedure as long as all the substantive requirements related to the pre-vaccination, vaccination and post-vaccination procedures are observed. Patients administering the first dose of a sublingual vaccine should also be observed with caution as it is the case with injection allergen immunotherapy. Despite compliance with the safety rules, there is a risk of anaphylaxis after a vaccine administration. Hence the center performing allergen immunotherapy must be adequately equipped and the medical staff should ensure professional intervention in the case of anaphylaxis.