Contact dermatitis to alcohol swabs masquerading as vaccine allergy.

A 14-year-old girl developed an eruption on her upper arm of pruritic, follicular papules each time she received a vaccination. This was initially thought to be a local reaction to the vaccines. After a similar rash appeared at a venepuncture site, a contact allergy to the alcohol swabs used before the procedures was postulated. A repeated open application test clarified this observation.