This is part 67 of our coronavirus FAQ. Click here to read other installments: #Coronavirus the facts. Find the latest information and answers from COVID-19 experts.
Should we get the vaccine?
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on January 6 that vaccine values exceed the risk of coronavirus infection and recommended that people get the vaccine.
How common is an allergic response?
In the USA, 1,893,360 people took their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine between December 14 and 23. On January 6, 21 people experienced severe allergic reactions, called anaphylaxis. This results in a rate of 11 cases per 1 million vaccinations.
The rate of anaphylactic shock with the vaccine is about 10 times that of the flu vaccine. But the CDC points out that it is still extremely rare for the COVID-19 vaccine to cause these side effects and it is a very safe vaccine.
The CDC also notes that data collection is still in its early stages, which limits the risk comparison with other vaccines.
Who is likely to experience anaphylaxis?
CDC figures show that 17 of 21 people who developed an anaphylaxis symptom had a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, including medications or medical products, food and insect bites.
Allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccine became apparent within 15 minutes for 71% of affected people, with 14% showing signs within 15-30 minutes and 14% taking more than 30 minutes.
Did people recover from allergic reactions?
Some of the 21 people were hospitalized. The 20 patients whose progress was monitored recovered or were discharged from the hospital. No deaths were reported.
Should people with allergies reconsider vaccination?
The CDC reports that it is an unnecessary precaution for people allergic to food, animals or other substances to avoid vaccination.
He recommends that people who have experienced symptoms after vaccinations or injections in the past should stay at the vaccination sites to monitor their condition for at least 30 minutes. All other people must be monitored for at least 15 minutes.
For more information, visit the following websites:
– A CDC report released on January 6, 2021.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7002e1-H.pdf
– Transcript of the CDC press release of 6 January 2021.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/t0106-cdc-update-covid-19.html
– Vaccines and allergic reactions COVID-19 (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/allergic-reaction.html
This information is accurate on January 26.
