HARTFORD, Conn — On Monday, the Governor announced the state will be opening up phase 1-B to allow anyone who is 65 and older to get vaccinated, beginning Thursday February 11. After that announcement we got a new batch of questions from viewers, like this one about the vaccine and allergies.
Janet Farrelly asked: “My husband will be in the next bracket starting Thursday being able to get the vaccination. He has a shellfish allergy and I am concerned about where he should go for the vaccination do you know if people are screened at all sites?”
Allergies to things like shellfish and bees do pose additional concerns when it comes to the vaccine. So we reached out to Community Health Center to get Janet an answer. CHC runs vaccine clinics all around the state including the state’s largest clinic at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford.
Dr. Veena Channamsetty is the Chief Medical officer at CHC and told us: “CHC screens all patients for allergies consistent with CDC guidance. We ask questions specifically related to allergies, such as past allergic reactions to vaccines. We also ask questions regarding the severity of the past reaction and if there was need for epinephrine. After the vaccination, we may observe a patient with a history of allergy longer than those with no history.”
If you ever have any questions about where the phases currently stand you can always head to the states website ct.gov/coronavirus
If you have a COVID-19 question you’d like answered send us an email share61@fox61.com.