What does the F.D.A. say about these reactions?
Several experts raised concerns about the allergic reactions in meetings convened to discuss both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines. The agency has advised caution, noting that health care providers should not administer the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine — a standard warning for vaccines.
Should people with mild allergies wait to get vaccinated?
There’s no evidence that people with mild allergies, which are
quite common, need to avoid the vaccine. Allergies are, simply put, the product of an inappropriate immune response against something harmless — pollen, peanuts, cat dander and the like. In many cases, the results of this overreaction are mild symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing or sneezing.
But allergies are specific: A reaction to one substance does not guarantee a reaction to another. On Monday, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology released
guidance stating that people with common allergies “are no more likely than the general public to have an allergic reaction to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.”
William Amarquaye, a clinical pharmacist at Brandon Regional Hospital, said he wouldn’t let his asthma or allergies stop him from taking the vaccine when it is offered to him in the next few weeks. He’s also never had trouble with other vaccines he has taken in the past.
“It should still be OK to take the vaccine,” Dr. Amarquaye said. “I’m actually excited about it.”
What about people with a history of severe allergies?
Most people in this category should be good to go, too, said Dr. Eun-Hyung Lee, an expert in allergy and immunology at Emory University.
Guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify
only one group of people who might not want to get Pfizer’s vaccine: those with a known history of severe allergic reactions to an ingredient in the injection.
People with a history of anaphylaxis to any other substance, including other vaccines or injectable drugs,
can still get the vaccine, but should consult their health care providers and be monitored for 30 minutes after getting their shots. Everyone else, like people with mild or no allergies, need to wait only 15 minutes before leaving the vaccination site.
“In general, the immediate reactions that require epinephrine are those that happen within the first 30 minutes,” said Dr. Merin Kuruvilla, an allergist and immunologist at Emory University.
Some people will understandably be concerned. Dr. Taison Bell, a critical care physician at UVA Health in Charlottesville, Va., said he worried about his 7-year-old son, Alain, who is severely allergic to several foods, including wheat, peanuts and cow’s milk. Alain has about two bouts of anaphylaxis each year.
It’s a bit of a relief that Alain is “later in the prioritization schema,” Dr. Bell said. By the time a vaccine is ready for him, he said, “we’ll get a better sense for how serious this is.” The family plans to discuss their situation with Alain’s doctor.
Ultimately, it’s unlikely that any of the ingredients in a coronavirus vaccine would cause Alain any issues. Alain has tolerated other vaccines, including the flu shot, in previous years, and is looking forward to his own shot at immunization to the coronavirus, said Dr. Bell, who received his first dose of Pfizer’s vaccine on Tuesday.
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