The UK Medicine Regulating body has issued an anaphylaxis warning stating that people who have a history of anaphylaxis to a drug or food should not receive the Pfizer and BioNtech vaccine. Experts from the agency have given full-fledged guidance on an earlier allergy warning on Pfizer shots. The UK has commenced mass vaccination with the elderly and frontline workers this week. It is part of the global drive, which has one of the biggest logistical hurdles in history. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reported nearly two cases of anaphylaxis and one case of possible allergic reaction since vaccination has begun. MHRA Chief executive June Raine has said that the majority of people will not suffer from anaphylaxis. He has said that the efficacy of the vaccine in protecting the people outweighs the risks. June Raine has claimed that the vaccine has met the MHRA’s standards of safety, efficacy, and quality.
Anaphylaxis is a side effect of the immune system. The National Health Services has said that it can be severe and at times life-threatening as well. Experts have said that anaphylaxis is the main side effect of the vaccine, and a warning has been issued after consulting many experts on allergies. Earlier MHRA has urged people not to get a vaccine shot if they have a history of any significant allergic reaction. Pfizer and BioNtech have agreed to support MHRA in their further investigation. The UK is the first country in the world to approve the vaccine, which has been developed by German company BioNtech, and Pfizer. The US and European Medicines Agency are still assessing the data from the clinical trial of the vaccine provided by the companies. A US official has said that Pfizer with a known allergic reaction might not be a suitable candidate for Americans.
The officials from MHRA have said that such allergic reactions have not been a part of the clinical trial of the Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer has said that people who have a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines or ingredients of the vaccine have been excluded from the final stage of the clinical trial. This has reflected in the MHRA’s emergency use protocol. As per the experts from Pfizer and BioNtech, a component of the vaccine called polyethylene glycol (PEG) might have caused severe allergic reactions. The PEG is used to stabilize the shot and it is not available in any other form, said the experts. An expert in allergy and Immunology Paul Turner from Imperial College London has said that PEG, which might be the cause of the allergic reaction, is not linked to things, which lead to food allergy. Turner has said that people who have a known allergy to a particular drug might not be at a risk.
