An adverse reaction to vaccination is a deterioration in health within a certain period of time after injection. It is mild in most cases. In extreme cases, it can lead to anaphylaxis. Should a person who has experienced anaphylactic shock after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine take a second?
- Anaphylaxis is a sudden reaction (allergic or non-allergic) of the body to a sensitizing factor. It could be medicine, food or an insect sting
- The reactions are very different. They can also occur after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine
- However, this happens very rarely. The data is for a few to ten cases per million doses administered
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
COVID-19 vaccination and anaphylactic shock
Also allergy sufferers and people after anaphylactic shock can be vaccinated against COVID-19, but only if the factor that caused the shock is known, e.g. a given drug, food, or stings by a specific insect. However, if anaphylactic shock occurs after the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine for no known reason, the second dose must be abandoned.
People with allergies or after shock caused, for a reason known to the patient, should be vaccinated under the supervision of a doctor, as is the case at the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Silesia.
The team of prof. Radosław Gawlik, head of the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, gave the vaccine under special supervision to over 50 people with previous episodes of anaphylactic shock or to people seriously ill with allergic diseases, who had not been vaccinated before. Such patients require careful hospital observation and immediate reaction when adverse events occur.
– The form to be filled in by the patient before the covid vaccine is given asks if he has suffered from anaphylactic shock in the past. For some general practitioners, disclosure of this fact by the patient means that vaccination is prohibited. Meanwhile, such a patient should be referred to an allergist specialist so that he can decide what to do – says prof. Gawlik.
Anaphylactic shock – how is it manifested?
Anaphylaxis is manifested primarily by skin lesions (e.g. urticaria), but also angioedema, especially dangerous when it is located in the area of the larynx or other parts of the respiratory tract. Patients with shock experience breathing problems, their blood pressure drops, and they may lose consciousness. The primary life-saving drug is adrenaline.
– It is worth adding that administration of the vaccine against Covid-19 is not associated with an increased risk of anaphylaxis. The data so far show that for a million doses of such cases there are… 1,5 – explains prof. Gawlik.
Experts recommend that the follow-up period for an allergic patient after vaccination against COVID-19 should not be 15 minutes, but half an hour. An intravenous puncture should also be inserted, because in the event of problems, this will allow for a quick reaction and administration of adrenaline.
- Ministry of Health: less cases of the Lambda variant in Poland than we thought
Anaphylactic shock to a known factor is not a contraindication to vaccination against Covid -19. However, people who have had it after the first dose of the vaccine or are allergic to some of its ingredients should not be vaccinated.
According to experts, excipients such as polysorbate 80 (in the AstraZeneca vaccine) and polyethylglycol-PEG (in the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine) may be sensitizing in vaccines against covid. But allergies to them are extremely rare. In addition, interestingly, the risk of anaphylactic shock is minimized by rubber, not latex, closure of the vaccine.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
As emphasized by prof. Gawlik, an interesting phenomenon accompanying vaccinations is the increased awareness of past, life-threatening allergies, which the patients have so far underestimated.
However, the first few studies of the Lambda variant showed that mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderny) retain protection against the Lambda variant.
Also read:
- Will the children go to school in September? There are recommendations from the Medical Council
- “People are begging for a vaccine when it’s too late”
- What should you do to protect yourself from Delta? Advice from the doctor
- R indicator up. There will be increases in infections in these voivodships
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.