One of the major allergenic components of the Pfizer COVID vaccine is polyethylene glycol (PEG)
Polyethylene Glycol
PEG has been implicated in causing allergic reactions ranging from mild hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Sellaturay P, Nasser S, Ewan P. Polyethylene Glycol-Induced Systemic Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis). J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Oct 1:S2213-2198(20)31007-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.09.029. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33011299.
Jover Cerdá V, Rodríguez Pacheco R, Doménech Witek J, Marco de la Calle FM, de la Sen Fernández ML. Immediate hypersensitivity to polyethylene glycols in unrelated products: when standardization in the nomenclature of the components of drugs, cosmetics, and food becomes necessary. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2019 Feb 19;15:9. doi: 10.1186/s13223-019-0327-4. PMID: 30820197; PMCID: PMC6381633.
Polyethylene glycol is a derivative of ethylene oxide.
PEG goes by a number of different names, which include:
- macrogols
- oxyethylene polymer
- laureth-9
PEG derivatives include
- poloxamer-407
- polysorbate 80