Can one with a penicillin allergy receive the COVID vaccine?

Question

Hi doctor,

My mother had an anaphylactic reaction to Penicillin before. Doctors have refused to give her Covaxin and Sinopharm. She previously had rashes after taking the soluble tablet Paracetamol. We do not have the Covaxin vaccine anymore, and I want to know if the ingredients in the Sinopharm vaccine are similar to Penicillin which could trigger an anaphylactic reaction.

Can she get the Sinopharm vaccination?

Please suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

It is better to avoid vaccination for her. Though it is not related to vaccine content, anaphylaxis risk is a serious concern. Kindly avoid any vaccine. Do not take a second dose. It may cause a severe reaction this time. Any vaccine can have the risk of a reaction. We cannot predict. Ideally, it is not advisable to take any kind of vaccine once you get an allergy to one type. Still, if your local hospital is willing to take the risk, you can try Sinopharm (SARS CoV-2 vaccine).

I hope this helps.

Thank you.