Can people with allergies get the Covid vaccine?

By Jessica Bashir Stone

As many people know, the coronavirus pandemic has hit hard on many people in the United Kingdom.

The government is now working to distribute a vaccine strong enough to kill the virus, so normal life can resume.

But some people have expressed concerns over the ingredients in the vaccine, as they have allergies they believe could put them at risk.

Ella Wilkins, 19, a dance student from London said: “I am scared … me and so many others I know are allergic. I just want normal life to go back but I don’t know what will happen if we can’t be vaccinated!”

No life-endangering reactions

There have been very few allergic reactions to any of the vaccines, and none severe enough to be life-endangering.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has said that it “found no evidence of an increased risk of anaphylaxis to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine among people with serious but unrelated allergy histories”.

It advised that “only people who had an allergic reaction to the first dose of this vaccine, or who previously had reactions to any of its components, should not receive it”, according to the British Medical Journal.

Wilkins, who dances for London studio centre, has lived in London her whole life and is dedicated to the performing arts sector.

Along with many others on her course the opportunity to dance for big companies is coming round the corner, but without a vaccine, will she be able to join?

Before the lockdown, Wilkins was working tirelessly to make sure she was accepted into the dance company of her choice. However, with no vaccine, she can’t begin to think about what may happen next or if she will even be able to perform for her dream company.

“We were in the dance studio five days a week, with all the equipment we could need. But now, I haven’t been in a studio in months, and I cannot continue to dance in my box room in university halls. I am not getting the practical practice that I, and many others need,” says Wilkins.

Wilkins, along with many course mates, has had no access to the room and equipment that she and others need, and have worried that they are not getting in the right kind of practice for a career in the arts.

Are vaccines safe for people with allergies?

Wilkins’ mind can be put to rest. None of the vaccines against Covid-19 that are available in the UK contain any penicillin – which is the main substance to which Wilkins is allergic.

This means that if she can get the vaccinations in time, then Wilkins, along with her dance team, will be able to go back to dance as normal and practice for the auditions she has been patiently waiting for.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign says that allergy to penicillins “is not a contraindication to the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna vaccine”.

It goes on to say: “The number of true allergic reaction to vaccines is very low. In the United Kingdom, only 1 case of anaphylaxis per million vaccine doses was reported between 1997 and 2003 (with no fatalities).

“Data for the rate of true allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech , Astra Zeneca and Moderna vaccines is still being collected but is likely to be low compared to the incidence of anaphylaxis to medicines in general.

“Many common side effects of vaccination such as localised pain and swelling at the site of injection or flu-like symptoms can be mistaken for allergy. They are not a reason to avoid the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna vaccine.”