We are in the middle of the administration campaign of the third dose of coronavirus vaccine. In addition, the implementation of the COVID passport in some autonomous communities has led many people to decide to put themselves first. And all this without forgetting the administration of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, which are especially recommended for older people. In some vaccinodromes or health centers it is even being used to put a couple of them at the same time. Nothing happens, that’s why they do it. The one we do have to be careful with is allergen immunotherapy, popularly known as allergy vaccine.
Some people could take the opportunity to request both appointments The same day And, although in principle nothing may happen, it would be possible that there would be a reaction of hypersensitivity to immunotherapy because of the mild side effects of infectious vaccines.
Therefore, prevention is better than cure. It is perfect to wear all of them, but leaving a week between the allergy vaccine and any of the others.
What is the allergy vaccine?
Before seeing why we should not match it with anti-infectious vaccines such as coronavirus, let’s see what allergen immunotherapy, also known as allergy vaccine.
Is a process which consists of the administration of progressively increasing doses of an allergenic extract to which the patient is sensitized. Thus, it is intended to improve the symptoms associated with subsequent exposure to that allergen. It is usually done subcutaneously. However, the sublingual route is being used more and more frequently because it is a safe and effective alternative.
Ultimately, what is done is gradually exposing the patient to what gives him allergy, so that your immune system gets used to it and stops generating the response that gives rise to allergic symptoms.
Now, what does all this have to do with the flu or coronavirus vaccine? The key is in your side effects.
Recently, HGU allergist Gregorio Marañón Alberto Alvarez Perea warned on his Twitter account of the danger of giving the allergy vaccine on the same day as the flu or coronavirus vaccine.
He explained that the secondary effects of the latter, even being mild, could promote a hypersensitivity reaction to allergens. In Hypertextual we have contacted this allergy specialist, who has told us a little more about the subject, starting with the explanation of this sensitivity reaction; which, in fact, is not given only by vaccines. “There are some elements that can favor an allergic reaction or make it more serious. We refer to them as cofactors of allergic reactions”, He says. “Among them are the physical exercise, the acute inflammatory processes, such as infections, or taking some medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ”.
And of course, the side effects of the flu or coronavirus vaccine are still a mild inflammatory process and the allergy vaccine is imitation of an allergic process. In principle nothing should happen, but it will always be better to prevent. “In general, immunotherapy with allergens is safe and the vast majority of doses are tolerated without any incidence, even in the presence of some of these cofactors”, reassures the allergist. “However, we know that its administration carries a small risk of having an allergic reaction. For this reason, it is usually recommended to patients that the day they are administered it avoid exercising for a few hours, or the dose is postponed if there is an acute infectious process ”. Same for the vaccine. “Therefore, it is recommended not giving doses of immunotherapy and a vaccine at the same time”.
What precautions should we take?
The only precaution to take into account is to allow a week to elapse between the administration of the allergy vaccine and one of the anti-infective vaccines. It is true that “the chances of having a reaction, even when given at the same time as a vaccine, are very small”. But it costs nothing to let that reasonable time pass.
And, in fact, it is not the only type of vaccine with which we must leave some space between doses. “As a general rule, anti-infective vaccines can be administered simultaneously, without affecting its effectiveness or its safety ”, recalls Álvarez Perea. “However, it is recommended that, if not done simultaneously, the attenuated ones (such as the nasal flu vaccine) are separated by at least four weeks.”
In any case, if we have doubts when it comes to getting a vaccine, whatever it is, we can always ask to our GP. Or also to health personnel to be in charge of its administration. We can consult any interaction with other medications and, of course, with any vaccine that we have already put on or have in mind to put on. Thus, we can make the most of these great inventions of science that have done so much and will continue to do for us.