The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines Saturday to address severe allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccine.
The agency said it recently “learned from reports” of some people experiencing severe allergic reactions after inoculation. The agency defined a “severe reaction” as one in which a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or requires hospitalization.
The CDC said people who had severe allergic reactions after the first dose should not receive the second vaccine.
Those who have had severe allergic reactions to a component of a COVID-19 vaccine should not receive this specific vaccine.
The agency also advises those who have had severe allergic reactions to other vaccines or therapies to consult their doctor before inoculating. However, people with a history of severe allergic reactions unrelated to vaccines or injectable drugs may continue to be vaccinated, the CDC said.
The guidelines come after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was studying five serious reactions to the Pfizer vaccine reported this week. There were two reactions reported in Alaska, and others have been reported in other states.
Peter Marks, who heads the agency’s Biological Evaluation and Research Center, told reporters that the agency was not sure what caused the reaction, but said a chemical called polyethylene glycol, present in the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccine, “could be the culprit.”
The agency said Friday that people with a history of severe allergic reactions to any component of the vaccine should avoid inoculation.
He warned the UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency earlier this month that people with a “significant” history of allergic reactions should avoid the Pfizer vaccine after two people have reported adverse reactions.