Tu176 - COVID-19 Vaccines as a Testing Agent for Allergy Diagnosis

Anlin Xu, M.D. – South Bay Allergy and Asthma Group; Katharine Nelson, M.D. – South Bay Allergy and Asthma Group; John Kellogg, M.D. – South Bay Allergy and Asthma Group; June Zhang, M.D. – South Bay Allergy and Asthma Group

Abstract Text: Severe allergic reactions to vaccinations, while rare, can occur and were recently brought to media attention with the novel mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Previous case studies have found that excipient skin testing has a limited role when evaluating patients with mRNA SARS-CoV-2 anaphylaxis. In this single-site case series, a sample group was composed of 12 female and 3 male patients from South Bay Allergy and Asthma Group with ages ranging from 15 to 72 years old (median age, 45 years). Using a standardized technique for allergy skin testing, patients were tested percutaneously and intradermally with diluted residual doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as well as with negative and positive controls (saline and histamine, respectively). Patients were contacted 24 hours after their initial visit and once more after being administered a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, at a later date, to note if any new symptoms or reactions developed. Following testing, 8 of 15 patients were vaccinated. Seven patients presented with negative skin testing and no severe systemic reaction after vaccination. One patient who had a positive skin test experienced hives around their mouth temporarily following vaccination. Additionally, no anaphylactic reactions were reported for any patients during testing or following vaccination. Given the small sample size of this study, we cannot state that this testing method conclusively determines allergies to components of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. However, a larger sample size and further replication of this method may help confirm the accuracy of this diagnostic approach and could pacify patients who are worried about obtaining a vaccine.