UK drug regulators have issued a warning that people who have a history of “significant” allergic reactions should as of now avoid getting the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency released the warning after two people who had the jab on Tuesday reported allergic reactions.
Two NHS staff members who were administered with doses on Tuesday suffered an allergic reaction. The UK on Tuesday administered the first-ever coronavirus vaccine to a 90-year-old woman from Coventry. The UK, on December 3, became the first country to authorise the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and secured 40 million doses of the same.
NHS said all trusts involved with the vaccination programme have been informed of the allergic reaction and that the two NHS workers recovered after receiving the appropriate treatment. It is not yet clear what element of the vaccine the NHS staff members were allergic to. Both the NHS workers are said to have a history of allergies and carry an adrenaline pen with them. They both had an anaphylactoid reaction, which involves rashes to be formed on the skin, breathlessness and sometimes a drop in blood pressure.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, told The Independent, "As is common with new vaccines, the MHRA has advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday.” From now on, anyone scheduled to receive the vaccination will be asked about their history of allergic reactions.