Allergic to This? You Might Want To Wait on a COVID-19 Vaccine

As more and more people across the United States get their COVID-19 vaccinations, there is a new report out cautioning people allergic to a certain chemical compound to hold off on being inoculated just yet.

BestLife is reporting that anyone allergic to polyethylene glycol should wait to get either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine COVID vaccine, which each contain the compound.

So what exactly is polyethylene glycol (PEG)?

It is a polyether compound derived from petroleum that is found in everyday common products like:

Toothpaste
Shampoo
Laxatives
Moisturizing Creams

Since mid-December, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have all issued advisories saying that the COVID vaccine should not be given to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions to any ingredient used in the vaccines.

Science Magazine is reporting that 'some allergists and immunologists believe a small number of people previously exposed to PEG may have high levels of antibodies against PEG, putting them at risk of an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine.'

As far back as 2016, a study published in Analytical Chemistry found that as many as 72 percent of people have at least some antibodies against PEG, and about 7 percent have levels high enough that they could be at risk of an anaphylactic reaction.

To date, only a handful of people have had any sort of allergic reaction to the COVID vaccines.