UK advises against Pfizer vaccine for people with a history of allergy

LondonPeople with a history of significant allergic reactions should not receive the covid-19 Pfizer vaccine, according to UK health officials. The alert comes after two NHS staff had an allergic reaction to the vaccine that was massively administered in the UK on Tuesday.

A 90-year-old woman, the first to receive the Pfizer covid vaccine

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has clarified that the recommendation applies to any person who has had significant reactions to medicines, foods or vaccines. June Raine, head of the MHRA, told a committee of MPs that detailed plans had been made for "streaming surveillance" to monitor the side effects of vaccinations and that any updates to patient advice would be communicated "immediately". "We know from extensive clinical trials that [reported allergic reactions] are not common, but if we need to strengthen our advice now that we have had this experience in vulnerable populations, we will do so," he said.

Pfizer said the vaccine was "well tolerated" during the trials without "serious safety concerns," and that it and BioNTech support the UK authorities' research.