Two people had an allergic reaction following the Covid vaccination in the UK. These are two poliallergic subjects, that is predisposed. But one wonders if allergic people should take precautions and which ones. Here are the indications of the allergist doctor
- The two allergic reactions that occurred in the UK
- What allergists say
- People with food allergies shouldn’t have any problems
- The precautions for allergic patients
In the United Kingdom, after the first administrations of Pfizer-Biontech’s anti-Covid vaccine, there have been two cases of allergic reactions that have raised concerns for the safety of allergic people. What risks are there? Should food allergies also be considered or only those towards other vaccines or drugs for different diseases?
The two allergic reactions that occurred in the UK
The United Kingdom was the first country on the European continent and in the West to use Pfizer-Biontech ‘s anti-Covid vaccine, but a few hours after the first doses were started, two cases of anaphylactic reaction and one of allergic reaction were recorded in healthcare workers. Immediate reassurances from MHRA, the British drug agency, which clarified: « Anaphylaxis is a known , although very rare, side effect of any vaccine. Most people do not develop anaphylaxis and benefits of protecting people from Covid-19 outweigh the risks ” .The same Mhra on 9 December (the second day of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign) had therefore recommended to those with a previous history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine, a drug or a food not to proceed with the vaccination .
No coverage against the coronavirus, therefore, for allergy sufferers? In reality this is not the case: some distinctions must be made.
What allergists say
“What happened in the United Kingdom concerns two people with severe polyallergy, so much so that they walked around equipped with adrenaline to be injected in case of need: they are not common allergies as it can be hay rhinitis, grasses or cat hair ” specifies Lorenzo Dagna, head physician of the Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergology and Rare Diseases (UnIRAR) of the IRCSS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. ” It is likely that in the case of the British subjects, it was not the anti-Covid vaccine itself, but one of the excipients that triggered the reaction . The precautions, therefore, are the same as those that must be followed in the case of administration of any medicinal product and drug in highly sensitized allergic subjects “adds the expert.
On the issue had intervened with a note also Gianenrico Senn in and Riccardo Asero , presidents respectively of the Italian Society of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (SIAAIC) and of Allergists and Immunologists and Italian Territorial Hospital (aaito) in a statement pointed out: “Anaphylactic reactions are a possibility, albeit very rare, even with other types of vaccinations. The current lack of experience on reactions to this new vaccine does not allow us to formulate reasonable hypotheses about the causes and mechanisms that determined them. According to the European EAACI guidelines, however, the only risk factors for allergic reactions to vaccines are a previous reaction to the same vaccine.and the concomitant presence of mastocytosis, a rare disease at risk of even spontaneous anaphylaxis ».
Wouldn’t there be fear, therefore, neither for those with respiratory allergies, which are very common, nor for those with food allergies?
People with food allergies shouldn’t have any problems
According to Gregory Poland, the virologist at the Mayo Clinic , food allergies have nothing to do with any adverse reactions to the Covid vaccine. The expert would rather recommend administration in a controlled environment, such as the Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (SIAAIC) and the Italian Territorial and Hospital Allergologists and Immunologists Association (AAITO), which have made themselves available “to offer their advice and possibly vaccination in a protected environment “. This is to ensure, in case of need, a prompt and safe intervention to any adverse reactions. But is there also to be feared for those who have problems with respiratory or even food allergies? On the first point there seems to be no doubts, so much so that no expert has considered a possible link. As for food allergies, here is the expert’s clarification: “Traditionally, influenza vaccination is contraindicated for those who are allergic to egg proteins , because to make it it is used with an embryonic chicken egg, so there could be contamination by protein residues. But allergies are usually very specific and limited to a single substance or category, such as grasses or specific foods. Poliallergic cases such as the English ones are much rarer. When in the presence of people with very important allergies, however, precautions are used: for example, if they have to undergo a CT scan with contrast fluid and have a history of important allergy, cortisone and antihistamines can be administeredpreventively. But these are special cases, normally those with a simple allergy to a food do not have to worry about the anti-Covid vaccine “, explains Dagna.
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Pfizer’s anticovid vaccine: what you need to know
The precautions for allergic patients
Given that the Italian authorities have not at the moment decided to preventively exclude subjects with severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines from vaccination, even in the USA we proceed with caution. Members of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) Committee) investigated the British cases, advising against doses to patients with “severe allergic reactions” to any ingredient contained in the vaccine. To avoid possible negative consequences, mandatory monitoring is also being considered after the first administration, for 15 minutes. This time frame could be increased to 30 minutes in the case of people who also have allergies to other substances, such as certain foods. “This is undoubtedly a useful strategy and already in use for other drug administration: it is sufficient to hold the patient for a few tens of minutes after administration, to make sure that there is no adverse reaction in that period of time. If it occurs, just as happened in the United Kingdom, we can promptly intervene and control the problem »concludes the immunologist of San Raffaele.
