Now you know that side effects come with the territory when you are getting the COVID vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most of these reactions to the COVID vaccine are normal signs that your body is building immunity against the virus. But, although it is rare, you can also have an allergic reaction to the vaccine, which is not something you should ignore. The CDC states that there are several symptoms that could mean that you are having some type of allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Javeed Siddiqui, MD, the medical director of TeleMed2U, says that patients with vaccine-related reactions should try to determine whether the “symptoms and timing of their reaction [is] consistent with a true allergic reaction. “Of course, you should see your doctor if you are insured. But to prepare, keep reading for some of the signs that you are having an allergic reaction to the COVID vaccine, according to the CDC. And for more vaccine news, beware, because if you are over 65, you should not get this new vaccine, experts warn.
According to the CDC, there are two different types of allergic reactions you can have with the COVID vaccine: severe and non-severe. In the latter case, symptoms such as hives, swelling and wheezing can appear up to four hours after vaccination. However, the swelling at the injection site is also a normal side effect of the vaccine, so you may not be having an allergic reaction if you also don’t have hives and don’t wheeze.
Spencer Kroll, MD, an internal medicine specialist at The Kroll Medical Group, says that if your symptoms subside after using antihistamines, you it is experiencing an allergic reaction to the vaccine. And for more information about reactions to the vaccine, you are more likely to have side effects from the vaccine.
The CDC says that serious, life-threatening allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, to the COVID vaccine are rare, but possible. According to the CDC, anaphylaxis can affect four body systems: respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and mucous (skin). Respiratory symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine can include a feeling of throat closing, a sharp sound when breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing.
Anaphylaxis can also present with gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Unfortunately, this may be a sign that your situation is getting worse. According to the health services website Ada, “As anaphylaxis progresses rapidly to its most severe form, anaphylactic shock, other symptoms can include … stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.” And to receive the most up-to-date COVID news directly in your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
In terms of the cardiovascular symptoms that appear in patients with anaphylaxis, you may experience dizziness, fainting, abnormally fast heart rate and abnormally low blood pressure.
On the skin, anaphylaxis can look like hives, itching and swelling of the lips, face and throat. And for more desperate reactions, this is the side effect of the rare COVID vaccine that doctors want you to prepare for.
A non-serious allergic reaction can take up to four hours to occur. But if you have a more immediate, severe allergic reaction to the COVID vaccine, the CDC says your symptoms usually appear 15 minutes after the injection.
Unfortunately, the first symptoms of anaphylaxis can appear as a non-severe allergic reaction, making it “often difficult to predict whether the initial mild symptoms will progress to an anaphylactic reaction,” notes the CDC. That is why the agency recommends that anyone with a history of immediate allergic reactions to previous vaccines or injectable therapy or anyone with a history of anaphylaxis due to any cause be monitored for 30 minutes after vaccination – longer than the recommended 15 minutes for all others .
Non-serious allergic reactions should still be taken as seriously as serious allergic reactions, says the CDC. Currently, both vaccines available in the US are administered in two doses, but an allergic reaction to the first dose may indicate that a worse reaction could occur if a second dose is administered. If you have an allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, “you should not take the second dose,” warns the CDC. And for more information from the main health agency, Dr. Fauci says that the CDC could make this major mask change soon.