COVID-19 Vaccines Demonstrate Its Safe Efficacy

COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have demonstrated safety even in patients with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, or venom.

COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have raised public concern with regards to their allergic reactions. Both the vaccines were recently approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the break of potential allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccination, individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to a medicine or food were advised to avoid COVID-19 vaccination as per medical regulatory agency of United Kingdom.

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‘COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have demonstrated safety even in patients with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, or venom. However individuals with a history of anaphylaxis are required to seek their allergist’s opinion before being vaccinated.

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Upon proper examination and review of all relevant information regarding the vaccines, the team of experts led by allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has offered reassurance that the vaccines can be administered safely even to people with food or medication allergies, as per the review published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

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FDA has recommended withholding of vaccines only from individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions to any component of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has advised 15 minutes post-vaccination observation of the individuals, by expert staff.

The team has also illustrated the steps for safely administration of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, in individuals who develop a reaction to their first dose.

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"As allergists, we want to encourage vaccination by reassuring the public that both FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Our guidelines are built upon the recommendations of U.S. regulatory agencies and provide clear steps to the medical community on how to safely administer both doses of the vaccine in individuals with allergic histories," says Aleena Banerji, MD, clinical director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at MGH and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

It was noted that allergic reactions to vaccines are rare, with a rate of about 1.3 per 1 million people. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine also fit this low rate of occurrence of allergic reactions.

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The review highlights the safety of COVID-19 vaccines even in patients with severe allergies to foods, oral drugs, latex, or venom. However individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to an injectable drug or vaccine containing polyethylene glycol or polysorbate are required to seek their allergist’s opinion before being vaccinated.

Source-Medindia