‘Wait 1 hr at hosp after vax shot for allergic reaction’

“As these vaccines are new, their reactions have not been studied extensively. When two patients in England who were allergic to certain food products developed a reaction to the Pfizer vaccine, they did not fear as they had carried their anti-allergy medication with them and hence were able to initiate action immediately. But this is not so in the Indian context where the public, especially those in rural areas, lack the knowledge for such action,” he said.

While allergic reaction in the first hour can be life-threatening, that is not the case with any reaction that occurs later, he said, explaining why remaining in the clinic in the first hour is important.

Total immunity against coronavirus is assured only 14 days after the second dose, which means that the first dose would provide only limited protection, Dr John said. “It is the responsibility of the State and central governments to ensure that wide publicity is given to the post-vaccine procedure so that immediate action will save lives which would otherwise be lost if treatment is delayed,” he ended.