Allergies to vaccine ingredients shouldn’t stop patients from getting COVID-19 shots: experts – CBC

Despite caution from NACI, allergists say virtually everyone can get a shot safely

Sep 01, 2021

Years ago, people who were allergic to eggs were given blanket advice to avoid getting the flu shot, which is manufactured using an egg-based process.

Today, the influenza vaccine is widely regarded as safe even for patients with egg allergies. But specialists still routinely get referrals from doctors who aren’t sure if their clients should get the shot, said Dr. Mariam Hanna, a pediatric allergist and immunologist in Burlington, Ont.

Hanna uses this as an analogy for the referrals she is now getting from doctors with patients who have concerns about allergies to ingredients in the three COVID-19 vaccines being administered in Canada.

Patients can have an allergic reaction to polyethylene glycol (PEG), for example, a component of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA shots, “and in many cases can still tolerate the vaccine,” she said.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/covid-vaccine-allergies-1.6160541