Vaccine allergy?Experts say most reactions in the past are not justified for tax exemption

She said that allergy specialists across the country safely inoculate most patients who come to the clinic, regardless of their history of allergies.

“There are certainly many referrals, whether excuses, misunderstandings, or misunderstandings. [vaccine rules]Hannah, a clinical assistant professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, said.

“In most cases, that’s not the reason for tax exemption.”

Hannah said that many of the patients she evaluates are concerned about previous reactions to the non-COVID-19 vaccine. However, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA jabs are different from normal inoculations, so these past reactions usually do not occur again.

Other patients are worried about receiving a second mRNA vaccination if the first patient has side effects. However, she said that many patients mistake common non-life-threatening reactions, such as rashes and swelling at the injection site, for allergies.

“We want to be aware that very few patients have a systemic reaction, usually within 15 to 20 minutes of the first dose,” says Hannah. “Most of the side effects we expect from vaccines are not contraindications to exemption.

“And sometimes you need an allergist to help reveal it.”

An allergist examines the patient’s complete medical history

An allergist evaluates the patient in a specialized clinic and obtains a complete history to determine the severity of the previous allergic experience and whether it was an allergic reaction.

The assessment may include a skin test in which the components of the vaccine are applied to a small patch of skin, but Hannah said reservations for all patients are different.

Dr. Samira Jamie, a clinical immunology and allergy expert at Western University in London, Ontario, said that even anyone who has experienced a strong allergic reaction can be misunderstood. rice field.

Some non-allergic reactions can include anxiety-related events that mimic allergic reactions, such as hyperventilation, fainting, and even symptoms that look like anaphylaxis. Difficult to breathe.

“Imitation of anaphylaxis is much more common than real anaphylaxis,” Jamie said. “One example is vocal cord dysfunction, where someone could actually blame the vocal cords. [when] tension. “

The Canadian Society for Clinical Immunology of Allergies states that the risk of systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, is extremely rare. Studies show that the estimated annual incidence of anaphylaxis in Canada is approximately 0.4 to 1.8 cases per million doses of the vaccine.

According to a Health Canada review of adverse vaccine reactions, 307 cases of anaphylaxis have been reported domestically, out of more than 56 million COVID-19 doses.

Jamie said her clinic was able to vaccinate “about 99 percent” of people who came with allergic concerns.

This includes those who have actually had a serious reaction to the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Allergists avoid this by giving people with confirmed allergies small doses separated by a 15-30 minute observation period until administration is complete.

Jamie said it could take hours to complete the phased management in extreme cases.

“If the patient thinks the risk of reaction is moderate, I divide the vaccine into three or four doses,” she said. “If the patient is at high risk, the dose should be longer.”

Vaccine Benefits and Allergy Risks

The National Advisory Board on Immunity in Canada states that the COVID-19 vaccine should not be given “regularly” to people who have a severe allergic reaction after the first dose.

If the risk assessment determines that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risk of allergies, NACI will be vaccinated twice with a different vaccine (AstraZeneca’s viral vector jab or mRNA product) than the one that caused the initial response. It states that the series can be completed.

Jamie said her clinic was taking AstraZeneca for emergencies, but she didn’t have to use them. Instead, most people can safely complete a two-dose mRNA series.

Allergists aren’t sure which component of the mRNA vaccine causes a severe allergic reaction in a small number of people, she said. However, PEG, or polyethylene glycol, is “currently believed to be the cause.” However, PEG allergies on skin tests are not always “correlated with vaccine resistance,” she said.

PEG is a common ingredient in cosmetics, skin care products, and some medicines such as Tylenol and cough syrup, Jamie said. Therefore, people with PEG allergies may know that they have it long before they are vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine.

NACI states that the COVID-19 vaccine “should not be delivered regularly to individuals who are allergic to any of the ingredients” in jabs.

Jamie urges people to seek clarification from a doctor before swearing a COVID-19 shot.

“I don’t think it helps to avoid things preemptively for fear of reaction,” she said. “The risk of COVID-19 infection is much higher.”