POLLEN COUNT
At Oak Brook Allergists, we have been monitoring the situation closely regarding the safety and effectiveness of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The clinical trial data can be reviewed here. In this post, we will give an overview of this vaccine and how it pertains to our patients with allergies.
What is the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine?
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 is a vaccine that may prevent you from getting COVID-19. On February 27, 2021, the FDA has authorized the emergency use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age or older. The vaccine is made of DNA. This DNA is converted into mRNA, which provides instructions for your body’s cells to make their own COVID-19 spike proteins. These proteins then induce your body’s immune system to make antibodies that can help prevent against a future COVID-19 infection.
There is no way to catch COVID-19 from this type of vaccine because it is not made of a virus. The DNA from this vaccine also does not interact with a person’s DNA. Therefore, your body cannot become mutated from this vaccine. In addition, the vaccine is delivered using a non-infectious cold virus called an adenovirus.
A one-dose regimen of this vaccine conferred 69% protection to moderate-to-severe COVID-19 in people ages 18 years and older. These results are very promising in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The list of ingredients of the vaccine are the following:
Active Ingredient:
- A replication-incompetent recombinant adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector expressing the DNA of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein
Inactive ingredients:
- Citric acid monohydrate, trisodium citrate dihydrate, ethanol, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBCD), polysorbate 80, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and hydrochloric acid.
Can I get the vaccine if I have severe allergies?
In the clinical trials, only one trial participant experienced a hypersensitivity reaction that was not classified as anaphylaxis. While we continue to learn more about this situation, it is important to know that allergies are very specific. This means that if you have a severe allergy to something, then this does not mean that you will have a severe allergic reaction to this vaccine. As listed above, there are no food products or antibiotics in the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, the risk of developing a severe allergic reaction is very low.
If you are on an injectable biologic medication, you can still receive this vaccine.
Who should NOT get the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine?
The FDA and CDC recommend that you should not get this vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient of this vaccine
How safe is the vaccine?
Anyone who receives the vaccine should be prepared for potential side effects that include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. There may be fatigue, headaches, chills, and fever as well. These effects are normal for any vaccine to induce an immune response. In the initial vaccine trial, the rate of more serious vaccine-related events occurred in 0.4% of participants of not only those who received the actual vaccine, but those who received a placebo as well.
Based on analyzing the current data, the perceived benefits of this vaccine for the individual and community far outweigh any potential risks.
Want to learn more?
Further information on the vaccine can be found here from the FDA.
We will continue to update you as much information becomes available.
