MADISON (WKOW) -- A new national study, with trials at UW, is looking to shed more light on the allergic reactions some people have had to coronavirus vaccines -- and people who've had reactions to vaccines in the past are anxiously awaiting its results.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are trying to determine whether people with histories of allergies are more likely to have allergic reactions to the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
UW Health Allergist Dr. Mark Moss says there are 30 sites across the U.S. involved in the study, including at UW Health, which will shed light on what's causing some people to have reactions with the vaccines.
"The reason that people have reactions to the mRNA vaccines is at this time still somewhat unclear," he said. "There may be an ingredient in the vaccine that's triggering an allergic reaction, or there may be an ingredient that's triggering a reaction that appears to be allergic."
Pfizer and Moderna both use mRNA technology. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not.
"There definitely seems to be fewer allergic reactions to the Johnson and Johnson vaccine," Dr. Moss said. "But exactly why that is, is is not clear at this time."
That's the vaccine Sue Ellen Knutson is hoping to get, but she's pumping the breaks before rolling up her sleeves.
After a flu vaccine in 2019, Knutson broke out in a sweat and hives.
"I felt warm, and hot, my face became red and blotchy," she said. "And I started to itch. And I knew right away that I was having a reaction."
She said she was surprised because she'd taken the flu vaccine every year and never had a reaction. But, as a retired health care professional, she knew immediately what she was experiencing -- and took an antihistamine medication.
When she consulted with her doctor, they decided she would need to have a skin test before she takes any other vaccines.
A skin test tests potential allergens in vaccines on a person's skin before they get an injection.
Knutson did one before trying to take a flu shot in 2020, and she had a reaction.
"They said, 'That's it. You cannot have the flu shot,'" she said.
Once news of widely-available coronavirus vaccines started popping up, she got concerned.
"I started wondering, 'Well, what's going to happen to me now with the COVID vaccine?'" she said.
Right now, there are no skin tests for COVID vaccines.
Dr. Moss says it's because they're not sure what allergens to test for.
"It's still unclear exactly what component of the vaccine people may be reacting to," he said. "And for that reason, we are not recommending that people have specific testing before they receive the vaccination in the vast majority of cases."
Dr. Moss says to check with your doctor if you have concerns, because there may be options for people who have had reactions in the past.
"Some of those options could include getting medications as a pre medication before their vaccination, or perhaps trying to choose a vaccine that might provide less risk than another," he said.
Dr. Moss says both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain what are called polyethylene glycols, a common ingredient that some people are allergic to. He says the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not contain the ingredient, but like the other vaccines, it does contain polysorbates -- another source of allergy for some people.
"For the Pfizer vaccine, about 11 in 1 million people have experienced severe allergic reactions," he said. "For Moderna, it's 2.5 per million people. And the Johnson and Johnson vaccine appears to be even lower."
Still, Dr. Moss says more research needs to be done to determine exactly why the different vaccines affect people differently -- something the NIH study will help clear up.
Dr. Moss additionally stressed that the severe reactions some people have experienced are far different from the side effects many people are reporting.
"Most people who have routine hay fever, seasonal allergies, asthma, should be able to receive the vaccines with no greater risk than a member of the general population," he said.
The NIH says that study will likely wrap up toward the end of summer. Until then, Knutson says all she can do is wait.
"We're not able to see the granddaughters on a regular basis," she said.
Knutson said Christmas was canceled entirely for her family, and they had to celebrate Easter in separate rooms wearing masks. Some of her family members, including her husband, are fully vaccinated -- but for now, she's not.
"I kind of feel a little bad because I feel like that we're going to be missing some things because of my not being vaccinated," Knutson said. "But they'll there'll be a way for things to get straightened around. Maybe it's going to be the herd immunity. Maybe I'll never get vaccinated. I have no idea, but I keep holding out hope."
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