With the newly approved Pfizer vaccine, Canada now has official recommendations about who shouldn’t get it because allergic reactions were reported in the U.K. On December 12, Health Canada put out an alert for the vaccine after they followed up on those reports of reactions. It includes the vaccine’s ingredients and advice for people about getting doses when they become available.
Health Canada said that if you know you’re allergic to any of the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech, you shouldn’t get it. Its only medicinal ingredient is mRNA and the non-medical ingredients are:
- ALC-0315 = ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate)
- ALC-0159 = 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide
- 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
- cholesterol
- dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate
- monobasic potassium phosphate
- potassium chloride
- sodium chloride
- sucrose
- water for injection
If you have had a serious allergic reaction to another vaccine, drug or food, it’s being advised that you talk to your health-care professional before getting the vaccine.