Covid: from latex foods, even allergic people can get vaccinated, study

Milan, April 20 (beraking latest news Health) – Even people with severe allergies to food, oral medications, latex, bee stings or poison, can get the Covid vaccine safely. This is the conclusion reached by a team of experts from Massachusetts General Hospital (Mgh) who collected and put under the lens the information relating to possible allergic reactions post shield injection – “cases that remain extremely rare”, they point out – to understand how to reduce risks and tighten the circle on people who need a more in-depth evaluation before vaccination. The group’s latest findings are published in the ‘Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice’.

A single ingredient of the vaccines examined remains in the sights of experts: “polyethylene glycol”. “Only the few people who have had a recent severe allergic reaction to this substance are now advised to see an allergist or immunologist for an evaluation, which may include skin tests,” says senior author Kimberly G. Blumenthal. The survey starts at the end of 2020 and has been enriched over time. The authors of the work examined all the information relating to possible allergic reactions to anti-Covid vaccinations. The team has now published updated insights, based on the supervision of over 65,000 employees with completed vaccination cycles. In addition to the updated guide on Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the analysis also includes the Janssen (J&J) vaccine, still suspended in the United States today and under evaluation for some reports of rare thrombosis.

“The first goal – says the lead author, Aleena Banerji – is to allow as many people as possible to receive an anti-Covid vaccine safely and avoid unnecessary hesitation due to the lack of knowledge on allergic reactions to vaccines“. With additional clinical data available, the researchers then propose a modified approach to evaluating patients with a history of allergies, starting with a series of clear and simple initial questions to identify who is eligible for all vaccines without the need for an allergy assessment.

“With more time and experience, we have been able to significantly narrow down the group of people with previous allergies who require allergy evaluation before vaccination,” says Blumenthal. Clinics that administer anti-Covid vaccines, the experts finally reiterate, should continue to observe high-risk people for 30 minutes after vaccination and should have staff trained to recognize and manage the allergic reactions that may occur.