Are COVID vaccines safe for those with allergies?

Allergy reactors are, understandably, worried as to whether they should accept a vaccination if and when it is offered.

After consultation with the BSACI (British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology) the MHRA (Medicines  and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have updated their original warning that those with allergies to vaccines, drugs and food should not receive the vaccine. The advice is now that ‘individuals should receive the vaccine but that if they have a history of allergic reactions to any of the vaccine ingredients or if they experience anaphylaxis after the first dose then they should not receive it. Individuals should be closely observed for at least 15 minutes following vaccination.’

But – that leaves a great many questions unanswered. So full marks to the Anaphylaxis Campaign who have stepped up to the mark. On a dedicated page on their website they have given links to information about the vaccines’ excipients and answered a range of 15 frequently asked questions including:

• I am allergic to penicillin. Can I have a COVID-19 vaccination?
• I have an egg allergy. Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain egg and are they safe to have?
• What percentage of the population usually have a severe reaction to a vaccine?
• I am allergic to all fish and have read that squalene, which comes from shark liver oil is used in some vaccines. Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain squalene and does it pose a risk to me?
• Can individuals with a history of venom anaphylaxis have a COVID 19 vaccine?

For more, go the Anaphylaxis Campaign site.

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