Oxford vaccine: People with allergies and pregnant women can now get inoculation, updated guidance says

‘Vaccine can be considered for use in pregnancy when the potential benefits outweigh the risks’

Virus Outbreak Britain Vaccine

People with allergies and pregnant women can now be given the country’s two approved Covid-19 vaccines, the medical regulator said on Wednesday.

Previous advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said people with a range of allergies to food and medicines should not be given the Pfizer vaccine.

Dr June Raine, the MHRA’s chief executive, said growing evidence from a pool of at least 800,000 people in the UK and around 1.5 million people in the US who have had the vaccine has "raised no additional concerns".

This, she continued, "gives us further assurance that the risk of anaphylaxis can be managed through standard clinical guidance and an observation period following vaccination of at least 15 minutes.

"And so the Commission on Human Medicines has now advised that anyone with allergy to food or other medicine or vaccine can have the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

"Of course, anyone with a history of allergic reaction to this vaccine, or its ingredients, should not."

Dr Raine confirmed that this guidance also applied to the Oxford vaccine.

Previous advice from the regulator also did not recommended the vaccine be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women due to "an initial lack of evidence on a precautionary basis".

Dr Raine said on Wednesday: "But now that we have reviewed further data that has become available, the Commission on Human Medicines has advised that the vaccine can be considered for use in pregnancy when the potential benefits outweigh the risks, following an individual discussion with every woman.

"Women should always be discussing benefits and risks of having the vaccine with their health professional, reaching a decision together based on individual circumstances, and women who are breastfeeding can now also be given the vaccine, subject to that individual discussion."

MHRA’s written guidance published on Wednesday about the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, approved hours earlier, said preliminary animal studies do not indicate direct or indirect harmful effects for pregnancy, embryo-foetal development, childbirth or postnatal development.  

Advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also been amended, the UK's four chief medical officers said in a statement.

The JCVI now recommends that either vaccine should be considered in pregnancy where the risk of exposure to Covid-19 is "high and cannot be avoided", or where the woman has underlying conditions heightening her risk of serious complications.

They said: "Those who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination, and breastfeeding women may be offered vaccination with either vaccine following consideration of the woman's clinical need for immunisation against Covid-19. The UK chief medical officers agree with this advice."