Specific immunotherapy or 'SIT' (also called ‘allergy vaccination’) is currently the only treatment option that addresses the underlying cause of the allergy, and not just the symptoms of allergy. As a result, specific immunotherapy reduces the symptoms of allergy in both the short-term and the long-term where it aims to provide a sustained effect after treatment completion.

Principles allergy vaccination

The principle behind specific immunotherapy or allergy vaccination is to administer small amounts of the specific allergen that you are allergic to (e.g., grass pollen in case of hay fever) in order to help your body build up tolerance to the allergen. This means that even after stopping the treatment, your body will continue to tolerate the allergen.

Immunotherapy as a tablet

Initially, specific immunotherapy was only available as injections that had to be administered by a doctor (subcutaneous immunotherapy or SCIT). However, allergy vaccinations have now also been developed as drops that are administered under the tongue (sublingual immunotherapy or SLIT), and most recently as a tablet also administered under the tongue (allergy immunotherapy tablet or AIT). This means that it is now possible to take specific immunotherapy (drops and tablets), conveniently at home.

Recommendation for immunotherapy

Currently, the World Health Organisation recommends a 3–5 year treatment schedule for specific immunotherapy. The reason for this long treatment schedule is that it takes time for the body to build up tolerance to an allergen.

Specific immunotherapy treatment and vaccinations always requires a prescription from your doctor.