Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Explainer: What Do The UK Allergic Reaction Cases Mean For Pfizer Vaccine

Explainer: What Do The UK Allergic Reaction Cases Mean For Pfizer Vaccine

UK officials said there have been two reports of anaphylaxis and one report of a possible allergic reaction since rollout began.

Britain's medicines regulator has advised people with a history of significant allergies not to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after two people reported adverse reactions on the first day of its rollout in the UK. Here are some questions and answers about the cases and what they might mean.

What Exactly Happened?


UK officials said there have been two reports of anaphylaxis and one report of a possible allergic reaction since rollout began.

Anaphylaxis can cause throat swelling, breathing trouble and difficulty swallowing, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Anaphylaxis is an overreaction of the body's immune system, which the UK National Health Service describes as severe and sometimes life-threatening.

Who Should Not Get The Vaccine According To UK Regulators?


British regulators initially responded by saying anyone with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food should not take the shot.

An adviser to the group later said it was "tweaking" advice in part to say a food allergy was not a risk. Late on Wednesday, the UK regulator said anyone with a history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine, medicine or food should not get the vaccine. Pfizer had excluded people with a history of significant adverse reaction to vaccines or its vaccine's ingredients from late-stage trials.

How does this affect prospects for US authorization?


US regulators are expected to consider emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine soon after a Thursday meeting of advisers. Moncef Slaoui, who is spearheading the U.S government's vaccine development efforts, said on Wednesday he expected the British allergic reactions would be considered in the US authorization process and that people with known severe allergic reactions probably should not take the vaccine until more was understood.

What do doctors say?


Some praised UK regulators' caution, while others said broad restrictions were not warranted by available evidence. "For the general population, this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination," said Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. What would be wise, he said, would be "for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified.

"Mayo Clinic virologist Gregory Poland, who has advised U.S regulators, described Britain's early reaction as "overdoing it," pointing to the initial response about food allergies, which he said "have nothing to do with this."

"I would have said, 'If you've had anaphylactic-level reactions to vaccines, we want to know about that so we take extra care,'" he said

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't immunize you. But I would do it in a more controlled setting."

Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, praised the way the reactions had been handled.

"The fact that we know so soon about these two allergic reactions and that the regulator has acted on this to issue precautionary advice shows that the monitoring system is working well," he said.

Mitchell Grayson, director of the division of allergy and immunology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio, voiced concern over how the issue might reduce interest in vaccinations.

"I'm worried the whole event will cause millions of people to choose not to get vaccinated because of what they heard," he said.

How common are severe or significant allergies?


In the UK in 2012 there were around seven hospital admissions per 100,000 people for severe allergies.

This included different triggers such as foods, drugs and insect stings," said Louisa James, a expert in immunology at Queen Mary University of London

Fatalities remain very rare and have not increased even as hospital admissions have risen in many countries.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×