After the emergency approval of the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, hundreds of people got the shot and at least two people showed serious allergic reactions.
British medicines regulators have advised people with a history of serious allergic reactions not to receive the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
“We’re looking at two case reports of allergic reactions,” Dr. June Raine, head of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), told a parliamentary committee. “We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn’t a feature.”
“As is common with new vaccines the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday,” said Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, in a statement. “Both are recovering well.”
The MHRA issued new advice to health care professionals stating, “any person with a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food — such as previous history of anaphylactoid reaction, or those who have been advised to carry an adrenaline autoinjector — should not receive the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.”
We will update this story as new information is released.