One in ten are allergic to cats suffering from itching, sneezing and watering eyes, which may soon be a thing of the past as researchers are developing a vaccine for providing long-term protection against these symptoms.

Early trials have found the product to be safe, effective and longer lasting than current treatments that also have serious side-effects.

If, further trials of the vaccine prove successful, the scientists hope they will be able to develop similar products for millions suffering from hay fever and other allergies. However, experts warn this may prove more difficult.

There researchers publishing their findings in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology state initial safety and tolerability study results indicate the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated.

Led by Prof. Mark Larché from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, the researchers said cat allergy, the commonest of allergies and is ‘strongly associated with asthma’, the worst sufferers being children.

Allergenic proteins are released from the glands of the cats glands when they clean themselves, ending up on the cats fur and in the air and inhalation by humans results in an allergic reaction.

Currently, the only way of coping with the problem apart from getting rid of the family’s pet is to build up a tolerance to the allergen by taking frequent injections. However, this immunotherapy the authors of the current study warn is linked to ‘severe and occasionally life-threatening’ reactions.

Their new approach identifies key areas of the protein causing allergic reactions rather than the whole protein, as existing vaccines do.

In order to make a vaccine called ToleroMune Cat, synthetic versions of the key regions of the protein were made, which when injected into the skin turn-off the T-cells building tolerance to the allergen, over time.

Researchers working with Adiga Life Sciences and the British bio-tech firm Circassia believe four injections would offer protection for a year, at least.