Some of my friends asked me if they could get the vaccine if they have allergies like hay fever. The answer is, yes, it can, despite concerns that two health workers had reactions to the jab in December.
However, both had a history of severe allergies and even wore EpiPens for emergencies.
In late December, the Regulatory Agency of Medicines and Healthcare products issued a statement after reviewing more than a million doses here and in North America.
It is said that there is no evidence of an increased risk of an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine; the only exclusion is people who are themselves allergic to vaccines.
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I cannot stress strongly enough that allergy does not prohibit vaccination unless the allergy to a vaccine or its ingredients.
As Rebecca E Glover and colleagues from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UCLH London and Harvard Medical School, USA, say in the BMJ, reporting allergy as a reason not to vaccinate is because 20-40% of the population in the UK and US have at least one form of allergy. These include hay fever, conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, eczema and contact dermatitis, food allergy and food urticaria.
Another concern is that the acceptance of a Covid-19 vaccine appears to be declining in the public. Initially, acceptance increased by 90%, but by July 2020, it had dropped to 64%.
Most worrying of all, vaccine vaccination seems to be the highest in ethnic minority communities, the most vulnerable to Covid. It seems to me we need to be transparent with everyone about the science behind allergies and vaccination, because it is generally reassuring.
The important message is that a serious allergy does not preclude vaccination unless the allergy to the vaccine itself or its ingredients.
It is crucial that this message comes out clearly and openly as a first step in approaching the vaccine. The public can gain confidence if vaccines are willing to be open, explain the difference between severe, moderate and mild allergies and make MHRA’s decision – making clear.
One concern is that people’s opinions about Covid vaccines can be transmitted to other vaccines such as childhood immunization, so it is essential to keep the lines of communication open. If not vaccinated, there is no room for coercion. People need to be reassured that they can return.
The good news is that it is possible to vaccinate people with allergies to vaccine components. Allergists can assess patients with a vaccine allergy and judge whether they can be vaccinated with a 15- or 30-minute observation routine or if they can do a skin test before vaccination.