Allergy sufferers with any well-controlled allergic disease should not be afraid of vaccination against COVID-19 – emphasizes the allergologist, prof. Andrzej Emeryk. Why? He explained in an interview with Medonet. The specialist also explained why people allergic to pollen should wear masks in the open air, even when this obligation is lifted.
- May 3 is the International Day of Allergy
- Prof. Retired allergist: if on May 15 the obligation to cover the mouth and nose in the open air is lifted, it will be good if people with allergies will continue to use them
- Masks are a great tool in preventing the exacerbation of pollen-related allergic diseases – they prevent severe symptoms
- Allergic people should wear higher-quality masks. FFP2 masks will work well, and even better FFP3 masks
- Prof. Emeryk emphasizes that people with allergic diseases should not be afraid to vaccinate. “What you need to do is trust your doctor and remember to take your medications, also on the day of vaccination”
- In the next part of the interview, prof. Emeryk tells, inter alia, about the symptoms that distinguish COVID-19 from allergies and when the risk of developing the disease is higher in allergic people
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Monika Mikołajska / Medonet: It is possible that the obligation to wear masks outdoors will be abolished from May 15th. Is this good news for allergy sufferers, or is it better that they should still cover their mouth and nose, especially now when trees and grass are dusty? The professor spoke about the relationship between pollen and the number of infections among people with allergic disease (link)
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Andrzej Emeryk: The masks protect people allergic to pollen and mold allergens staying outside buildings against the penetration of these allergens into the respiratory tract. They are a great tool in preventing the exacerbation of pollen-related allergic diseases – they simply prevent severe symptoms.
There is, however, the other side of the coin. Chronic wearing of masks, especially unlicensed ones, manufactured without the required control, causes particles of the fabric from which they were made to get into the lungs. At the moment, we do not know yet how they will affect our lungs. It remains to be seen in a while, research is underway.
To sum up, people who are allergic to pollen from wind-pollinated plants, I would recommend that during the pollen season (especially now, when the birch is very dusty and the grass will soon start to dust), wear masks in the open air. Thanks to this, patients will protect their respiratory tract against the ingress of certain allergens, especially pollen. In addition, the mask will also protect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. So if on May 15 the obligation to cover the mouth and nose in the open air is lifted, it will be good if allergic people will continue to use these masks.
Will every mask fulfill its role here? Should people with allergies wear a specific type of mask?
Yes, the masks should be of a higher quality. FFP2 masks will work well, FFP3 even better – they select and filter incoming particles better, additionally they have exhalation valves, breathing in them is easier.
It is impossible not to mention one more important issue – vaccination against COVID-19. At the start of the vaccination campaign, everyone was concerned about cases of anaphylaxis. Today, many people with allergic disease are still wondering if vaccines are safe for them.
Allergy sufferers with any well-controlled allergic disease should not be afraid of vaccination against COVID-19 with any of the preparations currently available on the market. In March this year, the Polish Society of Allergology published a recommendation on the qualification of people with allergic disease and anaphylaxis to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in our trade journal “Allergology of Poland”. This is our guide on exactly what to do with any given patient.
The document very precisely describes how to assess the patient and estimate the risk associated with receiving the vaccine. It describes which substances in each vaccine may be responsible for allergic reactions. PTA also notes that most of the reactions observed after the first dose are not allergic, and they are completely different reactions, e.g. emotional, cardiological, which do not disqualify the second dose from being taken.
The position of the Polish Society of Allergology is consistent with what is recommended by the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology and the World Health Organization.
So I repeat once again, people with an allergic disease should not be afraid to vaccinate. What you need to do is trust your doctor and remember to take your medications, including on the day of vaccination. And everything will be fine.
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- Allergist: a growing problem with qualification for vaccination against COVID-19
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