What is surprising is that only three-quarters of the children and less than half of the adults in this study sought a medical evaluation of the allergy despite reporting severe reactions and multiple reactions during their lifetime. [So does this mean that the statistics below are understated significantly? Sounds like it to me! - bfg]

http://www.foodallergy.org/featuredtopic.html

Allergy Statistics 

Australia  Canada  China  France  Germany  Greece  India  Italy  Japan  Malaysia  Netherlands  New Zealand Norway  South Africa  Sweden  United States  United Kingdom  Worldwide  Vaccinations  Un-vaccinated 

Australia

Australia has one of the highest allergic incidence rates in the developed world.

http://www.healthbrands.com.au/topics/Kids/news/

Today one in 20 Australian children suffer from a potentially fatal food allergy with the main offenders being everyday foods like eggs, peanuts, milk and fish. There has been a sharp increase in allergies over the past ten years. Australia has the highest prevalence of peanut allergy among its young, one child in every 50 has a dairy allergy and the prevalence of diseases such as eczema and hay fever has tripled in the last 30 years.

http://www20.sbs.com.au/podcasting/index.php?action=feeddetails&feedid=53&catid=5

But the biggest rise in food allergies is being seen not in adults but in children under five, as shown by data published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2007;120:878-84). The study found a 5 1/2-fold increase in the rate of Australian hospital admissions between 1994 and 2005 for food-related anaphylaxis in the under-fives — a much greater rise than in any other age group.

http://www.planet2025news.net/ntext.rxml?id=5349

Canada

www.asthma.ca/corp/newsroom/pdf/asthmastats.pdf

Between 3% and 4% of Canadian adults, and nearly 6 % of children suffer from food allergies

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that from 2 to 4% of children and 1 to 2% of adults have allergic reactions to food

According to Statistics Canada, 8.4% of the population ( age 12 and over ) have been diagnosed as having asthma. (2001-2002) [

Asthma continues to be a major cause of hospitalization of children in Canada.

In Canada approximately 20 children and 500 adults die each year from asthma.

Statistics from http://allergicare.com/

In Canada, the Anaphylaxis Canada’s Summer 2001 newsletter states that “20% of Canadians suffer from some form of allergy and approximately 4% of children and 2% of adults have developed a potentially lethal allergy to food.”2

http://www.vaccinetruth.org/peanut_oil.htm

China

Beijing

In contrast, clinical allergy to peanut is far less prevalent in China, despite the high rate of peanut consumption. Allergy to all foods reportedly affects only 3.4 percent – 5.0 percent of the residents in Beijing, Guangdong, and the Sheng-Li oil fields, with fish, shrimp, crab and seaweed, but not peanut, being the major allergens. In 29 children aged 2 to 12 years with diagnosed food allergy in the Chinese population studied, none had signs of clinical allergy to peanut, although 2 percent of them were skin-test positive to peanut. Interestingly, the Chinese-American population living in the USA had an incidence of peanut allergy similar to that of the general US population (Beyer, et al., 2001). [That's because they use mostly fish oil instead of peanut oil in the vaccines... - bfg]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0999/is_/ai_62893121

France

Peanuts are the second largest food allergies in France after the allergy to egg. They represent one third of allergies...

www.danger-sante.org/tag/allergie-alimentaire-enfant/

In France, data compiled by the team of Dr. Moneret-Vautrin estimate that 3% of food allergy. Elle est plus fréquente (4 à 8,5%) chez l'enfant d'âge préscolaire. It is more common (4 to 8.5%) in children of preschool age.

www.esculape.com/generale/allergiealimentaire.html

In France, the prevalence of peanut allergy is unknown, but its growth rate is real (12). L 'food allergy to peanuts is the second food allergy of the child behind the egg, it is noted in 34.3% of proven food allergies by provocation test (44). The distribution of food allergens according to age shows that peanut allergy is in first position beyond the age of three (43, 44).

http://www.allergienet.com/arachide-allergie-enfant.html

Germany

Two percent to 3 percent of the German population has food allergies. The prevalence in children is 3 percent to 6 percent, but can be up to 30 percent in high-risk groups, such as children with eczema.

http://www.foodallergyalliance.org/foo.html#ger

Greece

About 6% -8% of infants and young children and approximately 4% of adults have an allergy to some food.

Στο γενικό πληθυσμό υπολογίζεται ότι αλλεργία στο γάλα αγελάδας παρουσιάζει ένα ποσοστό περίπου 3%, στα αυγά περίπου 1,5%, στους ξηρούς καρπούς περίπου 1%, στο σιτάρι και στη σόγια περίπου 0,5%. In the general population is estimated that allergy to cow's milk shows a rate of about 3% to about 1.5% eggs, dried fruit about 1% in wheat and soybeans around 0.5%.

www.iatronet.gr/article.asp?art_id=5725

India

Children in India for some time in the case of asthma visits are increasing. That’s why even an allergy infection is increasing. According to reports published in India like this every fourth child is suffering from an allergy infection….Khag peanut allergies in adults, chocolate, soybean, rice, wheat, fish, shrimp and milk etc. are babies.

http://www.rashtriyasahara.com/

Children allergic to peanuts to eat, what can it be?

http://quest.webdunia.com/question.aspx

Italy

An estimated 6 to 8% of the Italian population has food allergies.

http://www.foodallergyalliance.org/foo.html#italy

Japan

A study by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) reported that about 7% of population had some form of food allergy. [That's 8.75 million - bfg] Among the patients who visited hospitals with food allergy, ca. 80% were young children, 9% were adults, and 11 % of the patients had the experience of life-threatening anaphylaxis shock.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/workshop-atelier/masahiro_shoji_abstract-eng.php

Of late, food allergies have become an increasingly serious problem, not only among children but also among adults. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 10% of Japan’s population suffers from food allergies of one kind or another.

http://web-japan.org/trends98/honbun/ntj970916.html

I feel I have a son of a peanut allergy, food allergy and peanut allergy, that most people are not interested.

pinattu.bg.cat-v.ne.jp/

Malaysia

Back home in Malaysia, one out of three people is allergic to something and if the current trend continues, up to 50% of Malaysians will be allergic by the year 2020. Clearly, the allergy march is on and we have to act quickly to halt it.

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2006/8/20/health/15171523&sec=health

In Malaysia, about 30% of young children are likely to develop allergic disorders in the first five years of life.

http://eddyleesinti.blogspot.com/2009/01/allergic-babies.html

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, approximately 800,000 people suffer from food allergies. Anaphylaxis is believed to affect 25,000 persons. [800,000/16,645,313 = 4.8%-bfg]

http://www.foodallergyalliance.org/foo.html

New Zealand

Kiwi babies are among the least vaccinated in the developed world, a new international report reveals.

The Unicef report, the State of the World's Children, showed New Zealand was on a par or ahead of the world on several counts for child wellbeing, including infant mortality, but it exposed the nation's low ranking for immunisations.

Of the six immunisations for one-year-old babies, New Zealand was well below the developed world average for four of them. It equalled the others.

In the worst example, only 79 per cent of one-year-olds had received immunisation against measles. In the developed world, 98 per cent had received it by that age and in the least developed countries, 76 per cent had received it.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4829150a4621.html

Norway

Food Allergy is rare, and is seen most often in children under 3-4 years.

De vanligste matvarer som gir allergi  i Norge er melk, egg, fisk og sitrusfrukter. The most common food allergies that Norway is in the milk, egg, fish and citrus fruits.

• Nesten 1/3 av befolkningen utelater bestemte matvarer fra kosten fordi de  tror at de selv eller et familiemedlem er allergisk. Almost 1/3 of the population dropping certain foods from the diet because they believe that they or a family member is allergic.

• Fakta er at det kun er rundt 3% av norske barn som lider av allergiske reaksjoner overfor mat, og de fleste vokser fra det før de blir 3 år. Fact is that there are only around 3% of Norwegian children who suffer from allergic reactions to food, and most grow from it before they are 3 years. Blant voksne er  forekomsten på rundt 1% av befolkningen. Among adults, the incidence of around 1% of the population.

www.nettdoktor.no/helseraad/fakta/allergiogmat.php

South Africa

True food allergy is less common than popularly believed. It is estimated that only between 1% and 4% of the general population suffers from a definite food allergy. Food allergy tends to be more common in children (up to 6%) than adults. In selected groups, such as children with eczema, the prevalence of food allergy may be as high as 25%.

http://www.allergysa.org/food.htm

Food allergy was present in the majority of subjects with AE. Peanut allergy was the most common-39 (35%) followed by allergy to egg white-33 (30%), cow’s milk-19 (17%), fish-5 (4%), potato-3 (3%), treenuts-3 (3%) and soya-2 (2%). Peanut and egg allergies were more prevalent in subjects > 3 years age, whilst cow’s milk sensitivity was more common in those < 3years age...
Conclusions:
Asthma and allergic rhinitis are the most common allergic disease in children referred to the Allergy Clinic. Inhalant allergens play a significant role in children over the age of 3 and a minor role in those under the age of 3. In patients with food allergy there is a high incidence of peanut allergy. In patients under the age of the 3, the most common food allergens are egg followed by peanut and milk. In children over 3 years peanut is the most common food allergen followed by egg and milk.

http://www.scah.uct.ac.za/documents/SCAH-programme-abstract-booklet-2008.pdf

Sweden

A [tenth] of all children in Sweden, in total roughly [132 000] children aged between 3 and 15 years, have some problem with [food] allergies.

http://www.scb.se/templates/pressinfo____221911.asp

Conclusion – Adverse reactions to food and food allergy were similar in Icelandic and Swedish children. At the age of 18 months one can expect to confirm food allergy in approximately one out of 15 children with reported adverse reactions to food.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/apl/spri/1999/00000017/00000001/art00009

Peanut consumption in Sweden (roasted peanuts, not peanut butter which is rare) has only increased by 5% between 1996 and 1999, but the number of specific IgE tests requested for peanut has nearly trebled (young children identified as most affected). This is probably due, at least partly, to increased awareness and ascertainment bias....only 60% of positive results were associated with clinical reactivity, with symptoms more common with higher CAP class results, as expected.

http://www.allerg.qc.ca/peanutallergy.htm#advances

United States

Allergic disease is the 5th leading chronic disease in the U.S. among all ages, and the 3rd common chronic disease among children under 18 years old

On any given day, 10,000 American children miss school because of allergic rhinitis, for an annual total of 2 million lost school days.

Chronic sinusitis affects nearly 37 million people in the United States.

Approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergy, with 6.9 million allergic to seafood and 3.3 million allergic to peanuts or tree nuts.

Approximately 2.2 million school-aged children have food allergy.

One in every 17 children under the age of 3 has food allergy.

On any given day, 10,000 American children miss school because of allergic rhinitis, for an annual total of 2 million lost school days.

http://www.aaaai.org/media/resources/media_kit/allergy_statistics.stm

Experts estimate food allergy occurs in 6 to 8 percent of children 4 years of age or under, and in 4 percent of adults.

Health care provider visits for contact dermatitis and other eczemas, which include atopic dermatitis are 7 million per year

http://www.cornerstonebiopharma.com/allerx/pdf/allergy_statistics.pdf

Statistics from http://allergicare.com/

New Study Indicates Food Allergies Send 50,000 Americans to the Emergency Room Annually

http://www.foodallergy.org/media/press_releases/anaphylaxisstudy.html

http://www.allergykids.com/index.php?id=3

Today, it is estimated that 20% of American children have allergies.

In the last twenty years, we have seen an epidemic increase in allergies, asthma, ADHD and autism, including a:

• 400% increase in food allergies

• 300% increase in asthma, with a 56% increase in asthma deaths

• 400% increase in ADHD

• and between a 1,500 and 6,000% increase in autism.

• The male/female ratio for food allergies is 2:1

• and the male/female ratio for asthma is 3:1.

United Kingdom

It is estimated 30% the UK population will suffer from one or more allergy at sometime in their lives.

Each year these numbers are increasing with as many as half of those affected being children.

Potential fatal peanut allergies now affect one in 70 children.

The UK population has the highest prevalence of allergies in Europe and ranks among the highest in the world.

Hospital admissions as a consequence of serious anaphylaxis has increased seven-fold in the last decade – admission for food allergies has increased five fold.

Over the last 20 years asthma has become the commonest chronic disease of childhood in Western countries and its prevalence has also increased markedly in adults.

5.2 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma: 1.1 million children (1 in 10) and 4.1 million adults (1 in 12).

http://www.aaircharity.org/allergies/oralallergy.htm

3.3 million (about 5.5% of the population) – Allergic rhinitis (UK)

Food allergies Uk - 5-7% of infants and 1-2% of adults. A 117.3% increase in peanut allergies was observed from 2001 to 2005, an estimated 25,700 people in England are affected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy

Statistics from http://allergicare.com/

Worldwide

Increases in the prevalence of allergies, asthma, and eczema were more commonly seen among children between the ages of 6 and 7 than among children aged 13 and 14.

In 2004 the World Allergy Organization’s Specialty and Training Council conducted a survey of World Allergy Organization (WAO) member societies to obtain information about the status of the specialty of allergy worldwide. Responses were received from 33 countries, representing a population of 1.39 billion people, of whom it was estimated that 22% may suffer from some form of allergic disease. Allergy was reported by 23 respondents to be a certified or accredited specialty in their country, and the number of certified allergists per head of population ranged from 1:25 million to 1:16,000. Allergists were ranked as the fifth most likely clinicians to see cases of allergic asthma, third most likely to see allergic rhinitis, and fourth most likely to see eczema or sinusitis. Nine countries only reported that children with allergic diseases would be seen by a pediatrician with appropriate training. The survey results highlight a pressing need for the development of allergy services worldwide

Statistics from http://allergicare.com/

Vaccinations

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10306

WASHINGTON — The current immunization schedule calling for infants to get up to 20 vaccinations by the age of two does not increase the risk of contracting Type 1 diabetes or various infections, such as pneumonia and meningitis, says a new report from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine. The evidence is inconclusive as to whether the immunization schedule increases the risk of asthma.

The immunization schedule in this country has grown complex over the last 20 years. In 1980, infants were vaccinated against four diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio. Today, most healthy infants get up to 15 shots of five vaccines by the time they are six months old, and up to 5 additional shots of seven more vaccines by age two. These immunizations protect against 11 diseases in total — diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (commonly referred to as Hib disease), varicella, and pneumococcus.

Un-vaccinated

For rubella there was a negative association with eczema and food allergy in the unvaccinated group: adjusted OR (95% CI): 0.57 (0.38-0.85) and 0.23 ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18266826

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000; 23(2):81-90, Effects of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the United States, "The odds of having a history of asthma was twice as great among vaccinated subjects than among unvaccinated subjects. The odds of having any allergy-related respiratory symptom in the past 12 months was 63% greater among vaccinated subjects than unvaccinated subjects." PMID 10714532

http://www.vran.org/vaccines/anaphylaxis/vaccine_ana.htm

...noting data indicating that more people with anaphylaxis live in northern climates...

In support of this perspective, researchers point to Eastern Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. "They had much lower rates of allergy," Dr. Field says. "As they were westernized, they had more."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/05/18/peanut.allergies/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/05/18/peanut.allergies/index.html

The medical community cannot fully explain the phenomenon. But there are theories. Noticing that developing countries have almost no allergy led doctors to suspect that our society is too germ-free….