Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Explainer: What Do The UK Allergic Reaction Cases Mean For Pfizer Vaccine

Explainer: What Do The UK Allergic Reaction Cases Mean For Pfizer Vaccine

UK officials said there have been two reports of anaphylaxis and one report of a possible allergic reaction since rollout began.

Britain's medicines regulator has advised people with a history of significant allergies not to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after two people reported adverse reactions on the first day of its rollout in the UK. Here are some questions and answers about the cases and what they might mean.

What Exactly Happened?


UK officials said there have been two reports of anaphylaxis and one report of a possible allergic reaction since rollout began.

Anaphylaxis can cause throat swelling, breathing trouble and difficulty swallowing, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Anaphylaxis is an overreaction of the body's immune system, which the UK National Health Service describes as severe and sometimes life-threatening.

Who Should Not Get The Vaccine According To UK Regulators?


British regulators initially responded by saying anyone with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food should not take the shot.

An adviser to the group later said it was "tweaking" advice in part to say a food allergy was not a risk. Late on Wednesday, the UK regulator said anyone with a history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine, medicine or food should not get the vaccine. Pfizer had excluded people with a history of significant adverse reaction to vaccines or its vaccine's ingredients from late-stage trials.

How does this affect prospects for US authorization?


US regulators are expected to consider emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine soon after a Thursday meeting of advisers. Moncef Slaoui, who is spearheading the U.S government's vaccine development efforts, said on Wednesday he expected the British allergic reactions would be considered in the US authorization process and that people with known severe allergic reactions probably should not take the vaccine until more was understood.

What do doctors say?


Some praised UK regulators' caution, while others said broad restrictions were not warranted by available evidence. "For the general population, this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination," said Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. What would be wise, he said, would be "for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified.

"Mayo Clinic virologist Gregory Poland, who has advised U.S regulators, described Britain's early reaction as "overdoing it," pointing to the initial response about food allergies, which he said "have nothing to do with this."

"I would have said, 'If you've had anaphylactic-level reactions to vaccines, we want to know about that so we take extra care,'" he said

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't immunize you. But I would do it in a more controlled setting."

Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, praised the way the reactions had been handled.

"The fact that we know so soon about these two allergic reactions and that the regulator has acted on this to issue precautionary advice shows that the monitoring system is working well," he said.

Mitchell Grayson, director of the division of allergy and immunology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio, voiced concern over how the issue might reduce interest in vaccinations.

"I'm worried the whole event will cause millions of people to choose not to get vaccinated because of what they heard," he said.

How common are severe or significant allergies?


In the UK in 2012 there were around seven hospital admissions per 100,000 people for severe allergies.

This included different triggers such as foods, drugs and insect stings," said Louisa James, a expert in immunology at Queen Mary University of London

Fatalities remain very rare and have not increased even as hospital admissions have risen in many countries.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×