In rare cases, the corona vaccines can cause severe allergic reactions. Do people with an allergy now have to worry about possible side effects of a corona vaccination? Here you can find out what allergy sufferers need to consider.
Some people have been concerned about the possible side effects of a corona vaccination, especially since the AstraZeneca vaccine was temporarily stopped. Allergy sufferers are also wondering whether they can be vaccinated without hesitation. Severe allergic reactions have occurred very rarely after vaccination. But what exactly do allergy sufferers have to consider? And which allergies shouldn’t be vaccinated with?
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Corona vaccination: Severe allergic reactions possible
According to Prof. Ludger Klimek, the President of the Medical Association of German Allergists, patients in the allergy outpatient clinics are always extremely worried about the corona vaccination. He explains: “Many would like to be vaccinated and look forward to the vaccination and then they read that severe reactions may follow – that caused great uncertainty.” Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction are sudden skin symptoms with shortness of breath or circulatory problems that require immediate medical attention.
According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), some allergic reactions in vaccinated people have been reported since the introduction of the corona vaccination in England and the USA. However, precise data on the frequency of these reactions after a coronavirus vaccination are not yet available.
Corona vaccination: What allergy sufferers have to consider
According to patient information on allergy and Covid-19 vaccination published by the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) and other societies, the two currently available mRNA vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna are very rare Cases of severe general reactions after vaccination have occurred. For this reason, the British health authority issued a temporary recommendation to exclude people with “severe allergies” and “anaphylaxis” from the vaccination.
In general, such a reaction can be triggered with every vaccination in very rare cases – either directly by the vaccine or by the additives it contains. According to patient information, there is no particular risk of the following diseases and allergies :
- neurodermatitis
- hay fever
- Bronchial asthma
- Nasenpolypen
- food allergies
- Insecticide allergy
- intolerance to painkillers
- Antibiotic allergy
- Contact allergy
According to the BZgA, the vaccination centers and mobile vaccination teams must also be equipped with emergency equipment in the rare event of an anaphylactic reaction.
Be careful with these allergies
It should be clarified whether a vaccination can be carried out if severe allergies have already occurred with previous vaccinations, after severe allergic reactions after taking or injecting medication (e.g. to an X-ray contrast agent) as well as after severe allergic reactions of unknown cause. If in doubt, the situation should always be assessed in advance by an allergist. The German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB) recommends the following procedure after the vaccination: “Patients with suspected vaccination reactions (e.g. in the case of an existing mast cytosis, the patient has too many mast cells with messenger substances such as histamine) should therefore be observed for a longer period after the vaccination (30 min)”, is the recommendation on the DAAB website.
People who have already had an allergic reaction to the ingredients contained in the vaccine or to the first corona vaccination should not be vaccinated .
