COVID-19 vaccine: No increased risk for allergy sufferers – doctors

The coronavirus vaccine does not present increased risk of allergic reactions for allergy sufferers and therefore also people who are sensitive to common allergens should get inoculated, the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology stated in a document released by the Health Ministry on Thursday.“To date, about 20 million vaccine doses have been given worldwide and only a few cases of significant allergic reaction have been observed, and not a single case of mortality,” reads the letter.“We would like to clarify that in the vast majority of cases an immediate allergic reaction is an antibody-directed response to something that is familiar to our body, while the vaccine is a new and unknown substance,” it added. “Therefore, there is no increased risk of an allergic reaction to the vaccine in anyone known to be sensitive to inhaled allergens, foods, medications, latex, X-ray contrast materials, insect bites and even in patients with chronic urticaria.”The experts recommended that allergy sufferers do get vaccinated following the ministry’s guidelines.Those who experience some side effects after the first shot are supposed to answer a set of question by a doctor.If some local reaction or non-allergic rash occur after over four hours from the shot, the individual can go on an receive the second vaccine, while if the reaction is immediate, the attending physician is required to make an evaluation and to consult with an allergy expert if needed.Only in case of a severe allergic reaction after the first vaccine, the association urge to consult with a specialist to evaluate whether to proceed with the second shot.

Due to the fast pace of the development of the coronavirus vaccines, possible undetected side effects have been a matter of concern among some, even though it is important to emphasize that the vaccines currently approved in Israel have received the authorization from American, European and British medical authorities. Moreover, minor side effects are normal for most of vaccines.On Tuesday, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center – Ichilov also released the findings about side effects following the inoculation of its staff.Some 1735 employees took part in the study, including doctors, nurses, researchers and administrative workers. About 37% of them did not register any side effect and 95% did not present any symptom of allergic reaction.Some 44% of the participants described feeling significantly tired, 34% experienced some muscle pain, 30% headaches, 21% shivers, 11% a light fever, some 10% dizziness or nausea. Other effects included fever over 38 degrees, stomachache, rashes and diarrhea. 0,06 suffered from temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face.About 3% of those inoculated consulted with a doctor, including a 0,28 who went to the emergency room.
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