Covid vaccine safe even for those with severe asthma, Italian study

More than 80% of patients with severe asthma experienced no side effects after the mRna vaccine, neither after the first nor after the second dose. Among the patients who had adverse events, in 95% of cases they were very common minor annoyances; in no case was there a worsening of asthma. This is demonstrated by the first Italian study conducted on these patients by experts from the Italian Society of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (Siaaic). Even a possible third dose must not scare the 200 thousand Italians suffering from severe asthma: the mRna vaccine for Covid-19 is safe even for those who are on biological drug therapy and without there being substantial differences with the use of one monoclonal antibody or the other. The study, published in Vaccines, was conducted on 253 patients with severe asthma followed by the Reference Centers for severe asthma in Verona and Padua and immunized against Covid-19 with Pfizer’s mRna vaccine. “Only patients with a relapse of severe asthma in progress and under treatment with a high dose of oral steroids were excluded from vaccination; all the others – explains Gianenrico Senna, co-author of the study and Siaaic president – were followed for record and evaluate any adverse events after vaccination. The data are very reassuring: after the first dose only 19% of patients complained of a side effect that in 81% of cases was very common and of little consequence, after the second dose only 17% had an adverse event and in 95% of cases it was minor discomfort such as arm pain, fever, muscle aches or headache. Some uncommon but not serious ailments occurred, such as widespread pain or lymphadenopathy, however – underlines Senna – no rare adverse events have been recorded, such as severe allergic reactions or facial asymmetries, nor has a pre-medication with antihistamines or paracetamol ever been recommended or reported “. ‘The only precaution is the 48-hour interval between biological drug and vaccine dose’The detailed analysis of patients treated with a monoclonal antibody was equally reassuring: the risk profile was comparable to that of those who do not take biological drugs. “The only precaution taken – specify Andrea Vianello, professor of Diseases of the respiratory system at the University of Padua and co-author of the study together with Gabriella Guarnieri, Respiratory physiopathology service of the University Hospital of Padua – was to observe an interval of 48 hours between the administration of the biological drug and the dose of the vaccine. In no case was there a worsening of the asthma that remained stable or even slightly improved “. “Even the quality of life of patients – the experts underline – has increased, probably thanks to the positive attitude in the face of vaccination which was rightly seen as a precious help by those more susceptible to the damage of Covid-19. These data – conclude. – they therefore encourage all patients with severe asthma to confidently and fearlessly undergo the eventual third dose of vaccine, an essential and safe health tool for all of them ”.