The usability of testing skin reaction applying skin prick tests with Comirnaty (Pfizer, USA) vaccine in detecting the risk of developing post-vaccination immediate hypersensitivity response (anaphylaxis) after administration of this vaccine

Ewelina Gulas; Andrzej Bant; Jerzy Kruszewski; Barbara Betiuk; Marek Niedoszytko; Andrzej Chciałowski

doi:10.5114/ada.2023.131860

The usability of testing skin reaction applying skin prick tests with Comirnaty (Pfizer, USA) vaccine in detecting the risk of developing post-vaccination immediate hypersensitivity response (anaphylaxis) after administration of this vaccine

Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2023 Oct;40(5):655-660. doi: 10.5114/ada.2023.131860. Epub 2023 Oct 8.

Authors

Ewelina Gulas¹, Andrzej Bant¹, Jerzy Kruszewski¹, Barbara Betiuk², Marek Niedoszytko³, Andrzej Chciałowski¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
² Vaccination Clinic of Military Instytute of Medicine, National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
³ Allergology Department, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines became a relevant element of prevention during COVID-19 pandemic. It is worth highlighting the importance of severe allergic post-vaccination reactions.

Aim: To evaluate the usability of skin reaction tests using skin prick tests with Comirnaty (Pfizer, USA) vaccine in risk detection of the post-vaccine immediate hypersensitivity reaction (anaphylaxis) after administration of this vaccine [PvIHR(A)].

Material and methods: The analysis embraces 102 people, 85 women and 17 men with a history of immediate hypersensitivity (anaphylaxis) [IHR(A)]. Detailed medical history was collected and skin prick tests were made among participants. The positive and negative test results were illustrated in Figure 1.

Results: As it stands in Table 1, considering all participants of the study, a positive result of the skin prick tests was obtained only in 2 cases, a negative result in 99 and 1 result was questionable. The two positive results were found in participants from a group with a previous PvIHR(A) in their past medical history and they decided not to get vaccinated. The one questionable result was of a person that had PvIHR(A) after administration of the first dose of Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer, USA). This person decided to get vaccinated again and there was no PvIHR(A) observed.

Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination involves a low risk of anaphylaxis. Purposefulness of providing the skin prick tests using the mRNA vaccine is questionable, due to their low sensitivity and low specificity.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccination; SARS-CoV-2; anaphylaxis; mRNA vaccine.