The Israeli Association of Experts in Allergy and Immunology contacted the Ministry of Health: Reduce the restriction on immunization for those suffering from severe allergic reactions to drugs only
Corona disease vaccine // Photo: Gettyimages
People with allergies to food, inhaled allergens or substances such as latex will be able to get the vaccine for corona, as well as people with only mild allergic reactions, with asthma or with other diseases such as urticaria, the Israeli Association of Experts in Allergy and Immunology reports today (Tuesday).
Experts emphasize that only those who have developed an acute allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to drugs or vaccines should avoid getting vaccinated against corona while the rest of the allergy sufferers are allowed and even recommended to get vaccinated.
The organization's recommendations are in conflict with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, according to which anyone who has developed a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), even if it is an allergy to food, pollen or other substances, should avoid receiving the vaccine.
According to the association's recommendation, in cases of patients with a background of severe allergic reaction to injectable drugs, vaccine components and anaphylaxis without a known external factor, it is appropriate to postpone the administration of the vaccine at this stage.
It has also been recommended that patients with a food allergic background, inhaled allergens, insects, latex and so on.
There is a recommendation to get the vaccine.
In these cases, appropriate supervision of the vaccinated person should be taken for 30 minutes after the injection.
The organization also stated that there is no prevention from giving the vaccine to patients suffering from immunodeficiency.
In these cases it is advisable to offer, at medical discretion, a 30-minute supervision.
"The Ministry of Health must change the recommendations"
"There are isolated reports of allergic reactions, with a low incidence among those vaccinated. The vaccine, "the Israeli Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology notes.
The association added: "Recently, concerns about the safety of the vaccine have been raised in the public debate. This concern is rooted in the speed of the vaccine's development, its innovative technology and the reporting of cases of allergic reaction. "Because the epidemic's damage far exceeds the existing and expected side effects of the vaccine."
According to Prof. Aharon Kessel, chairman of the Allergy and Immunology Association and director of the Allergy Institute in Bnei Zion: "We are inundated with inquiries from our patients regarding the safety of the vaccine for them, so we decided to publish the position paper.
We also relied on a similar position of the American Allergy Association that only people with allergic reactions to drugs or vaccines should avoid getting vaccinated.
A person who has an allergy to food, for example milk, will develop an allergic reaction only to milk and therefore it does not make sense to fear that he will develop an allergic reaction to the vaccine components.
About 15% of the adult population suffer from various allergies.
There is no reason for people with food allergies, allergic rhinitis, asthma or urticaria to be afraid of getting vaccinated.
We contacted the Ministry of Health and asked them to change their recommendations. "
The recommendation of the committee that prioritizes vaccines in the Ministry of Health, as presented by Dr. Boaz Lev in a briefing for reporters, is that the vaccine is not recommended for "people with a severe allergic reaction in the past who have developed anaphylaxis for one reason or another."
Dr. Lev told Israel Today in response to the recommendations of the Association for Allergy and Immunology, "This is a new vaccine for a new disease and we prefer to be careful, so at the moment the recommendation is that any anaphylactic reaction should not be vaccinated.
We will continue to gather information and discuss the issue.
We will examine this again and it is possible that the recommendation will change later. "