The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new recommendations for a Covid-19 vaccine for those with a history of allergies.
The recommendations, published Saturday on the CDC’s website, suggest that people who have ever had a severe allergic reaction, also known as anaphylaxis, to any ingredient in a Covid-19 vaccine should not receive the vaccine.
The CDC considers a serious reaction if it requires the person to be treated with epinephrine or if they need to be hospitalized. Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include difficulty breathing, sore throat, nausea, and dizziness.
The agency added that people with a history of anaphylaxis from other vaccines or injectable drugs should consult their doctor to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
In the relevant guidance issued to vaccine providers, the agency said that “the CDC considers a history of severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis to any vaccine or any injectable therapy (eg, intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous) as a precaution. , but not a contraindication, to vaccination “.
For people with a personal or family history of serious reactions unrelated to vaccines or injectable drugs, according to the CDC, they may still receive the Covid-19 vaccine. The agency added that people who have a history of allergies to any oral medication or people with milder reactions to vaccines can also be vaccinated.
If an individual experiences anaphylaxis after their initial shot of covid-19, the CDC says they should not receive the second shot.
More details: The agency recommends that vaccine providers monitor all people for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine; those with a history of severe allergic reactions should be monitored for 30 minutes. In the event of a reaction, the CDC says all vaccine providers should have epinephrine, antihistamines, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, and timing devices available to treat and control reactions.
They also point out that serious reaction reports need to be sent to the national vaccine information system.
On Saturday: During a meeting of the CDC advisory committee that reviewed the use of the Modern Covid-19 vaccine, Tom Clark of the CDC said of the more than 272,001 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine administered on Saturday there there have been six severe allergic reactions.