The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people who are severely allergic to the ingredients in the Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine not to get the inoculation. The guidelines were issued after six people in the United States experienced a significant allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, after getting the vaccine. The reactions, which included elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness, occurred within 30 minutes of vaccination. In Alaska, two healthcare workers developed symptoms within 10 minutes of being inoculated.
Severe reactions to Covid-19 vaccines appear to be isolated with only a small handful of serious reactions occurring out of the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve been vaccinated in the United States. The CDC recommends all adults be monitored for 15 minutes after getting vaccinated. People with a history of severe allergic reactions should be observed for 30 minutes in a medical facility that can provide quick treatment if an adverse event occurs.
What ingredients to look for
The CDC is advising that people who have a history of allergic reactions to any of the ingredients included in the shots talk with their doctor before getting vaccinated. The full list of ingredients - which include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and a number of lipids - can be found on the Pfizer vaccine’s prescribing information chart. Moderna’s vaccine prescribing information also lists the ingredients, which include various lipids, sodium acetate, and tromethamine.
Another ingredient in question is polyethylene glycol, a laxative commonly used with colonoscopies. Few cases of anaphylactic reaction have been linked to polyethylene glycol, but the reaction has been reported in the past. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines don’t include preservatives, and the vial stoppers are not made with latex.
People who’ve had a serious allergic reaction to any injectable medicine or vaccine in the past should consult their doctor. These individuals can still get the vaccine, but they’ll be monitored for a longer period of time, according to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Those with other allergies not related to vaccines - including “allergies to food, pet, venom, environmental, or latex” - should still get vaccinated, the CDC recommends.
You should still plan to get vaccinated if: You’ve had a serious allergic reaction to oral medications.
You have a family history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines. You’ve had mild reactions to vaccines. Dr. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center and a member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), said the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are closely monitoring reactions to the vaccine.
“Safety is being closely monitored as always with all vaccines, and especially now with the Covid-19 vaccines,” Bernstein said. The system is working, Schaffner said. The cases are under careful investigation to determine the nature of these problems, Schaffner noted. “It’s still very early days, but we know it’s very unusual,” he added.
