I have an allergy to one of the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine. What should I do?

Question: 

I have an allergy to one of the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine. What should I do?

Answer: 
Let your immunization provider know that you are concerned about a possible allergy to an ingredient in the COVID-19 vaccine. You and your immunization provider can determine which vaccine is right for you. There is a safe COVID-19 vaccine option for most people. 
 
  • Tell your healthcare provider if you have had anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) with an unknown cause.
  • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to:
    • Polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is in both the Moderna (SpikevaxTM) and Pfizer-BioNTech (ComirnatyTM) COVID-19 vaccines.
    • Polysorbate 80, which is in the AstraZeneca (VaxzevriaTM), CovishieldTM, Johnson & Johnson (JanssenTM) and Novavax (NuvaxovidTM) vaccines.

Depending on  your allergy history, your immunization providers may require you to wait for a longer period of time (30 minutes or more) after getting the vaccine. 

Date last reviewed: 
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2022