New Delhi, India (CU)_ Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was approved for restricted emergency use under the clinical trial mode in January, and recipients were asked to fill out a form indicating whether they had any allergic reactions following the vaccination, as the company recommended not to get the vaccine if there are any allergic symptoms. Bharat Biotech’s vaccine was eliminated from the clinical trial mode after more data was presented.
When Dr VK Paul of Niti Aayog was asked whether people with allergies can take Covaxin, he warned, without naming the vaccine, that if someone has a serious allergy, they should consult a doctor before being injected. However, if it is a normal skin allergy, people can get their vaccines without any hesitation.
According to AIIMS director Dr. Randeep Guleria, if an individual is taking allergy medicine, then it should be followed even after getting vaccinated. He said, “If there is any allergic reaction post the vaccination, then once can report to the doctors at the vaccination centre”. The vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said that people with a history of allergic reactions to oral drugs or a hereditary history of allergies, as well as those who may have a minor allergy to vaccines (but not anaphylaxis), can still take vaccine doses.
According to the manufacturer, those who have known allergies to any component of Covaxin, however, should not receive the vaccination. These include 6g of whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 antigen (Strain: NIV-2020-770), as well as additional inactive substances including aluminum hydroxide gel 250g, TLR 7/8 agonist (imidazoquinolinone) 15g, 2-phenoxyethanol 2.5 mg, and phosphate buffer saline up to 0.5 ml.
According to the Serum Institute of India’s fact sheet, in the case of Covishield, the vaccine should be avoided if the first dosage causes a severe allergic reaction. The company previously suggested not to take the vaccine if there is a known allergy to any of the vaccine’s ingredients, including L-Histidine, L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol, Sucrose, Sodium chloride, Disodium edetate dihydrate (EDTA).
