Venom immunotherapy
Venom immunotherapy is the treatment for people who have had a serious allergic reaction to a sting. It is a three-to-five-year program of injections built from your own test results, and it is the one form of allergy immunotherapy that is genuinely preventive — it exists to stop the next sting from becoming an emergency.
A specialized subcutaneous program for stinging insect allergy — honeybee, wasp, and yellow jacket, hornet or fire ant — built from your own test results, with every extract, injection and follow-up visit included in the annual fee.
- 3–5 yrs
- typical program length
- Five venoms
- honeybee, wasp, yellow jacket, hornet, fire ant
- In clinic
- every dose, with a waiting period after
Is venom immunotherapy the right route for you?
- You have had a reaction to a sting that went beyond swelling at the site
- You carry an epinephrine auto-injector because of a sting and would rather not need it
- You work outdoors, keep bees, or spend enough time outside that avoidance is not realistic
- A previous reaction has made summer something you plan around
What venom immunotherapy actually involves
Testing first
Blood work identifies which venom or venoms you react to. The program is built from that result, so testing comes before anything is mixed.
Build-up phase
Injections given in the clinic on a schedule, starting at a very small dose and increasing gradually until the maintenance dose is reached.
Maintenance
Once you reach maintenance, injections space out considerably and continue for three to five years. This is the phase that does the work.
Observation after every dose
You wait in the clinic after each injection. Systemic reactions to venom immunotherapy are uncommon but possible, and the waiting period exists so that anything that happens, happens where a physician and epinephrine are in the room.
WHAT IT DOESN’T COVER
This program covers honeybee, yellow jacket, hornet, wasp and fire ant.
Venom Immunotherapy
$2,500 per year, flat
What the fee covers
- All stinging insect venom extracts required
- Custom mixing and formulation
- In-office injection administration
- Full monitoring and physician oversight
- All follow-up visits related to the program
Questions about venom immunotherapy
How do I know if my reaction was serious enough to need this?
A large swelling at the sting site alone usually does not require immunotherapy. Reactions involving hives away from the sting site, swelling of the lips or throat, difficulty breathing, dizziness or loss of consciousness are a different matter, and those are the ones venom immunotherapy is for. Bring what you remember of the reaction to the appointment — the details determine the recommendation.
How effective is it?
Venom immunotherapy is among the most effective treatments in allergy. Published studies report complete protection from systemic sting reactions in roughly 77 to 84 percent of patients treated for honeybee venom and 91 to 96 percent of those treated for vespid venoms — wasps, yellow jackets and hornets. It is well established enough to be considered standard of care for people with a history of systemic sting reactions.
Do I still carry an epinephrine auto-injector?
Yes, during the program and usually after. Immunotherapy substantially reduces risk rather than eliminating it, and the auto-injector stays part of the plan. Dr. Stanga will tell you when and whether that changes.
Which insects does this cover?
Honeybee, yellow jacket, hornet, wasp and fire ant.
What happens after three to five years?
For most people the protection persists well after the program ends, which is what separates venom immunotherapy from ongoing symptom management. Whether to stop at three years or continue to five is a decision made with your physician based on your original reaction and your ongoing exposure.
A different approach to allergy treatment starts here
Enrollment takes about two minutes. We'll confirm your visit within one business day and send everything you need beforehand.
