Safety of administration of BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer‐BioNTech) COVID‐19 vaccine in youths and young adults with a history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and allergy to PEG‐asparaginase
Catherine Mark, Sumit Gupta, Angela Punnett, Julia Upton, Julia Orkin, Adelle Atkinson, Lindsay Clarke, Alice Heisey, Christine McGovern, Sarah Alexander
Abstract
Vaccinationis a critical tool in the prevention of COVID-19 infection for individuals and for communities. The mRNA vaccines contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a stabilizer. Currently, in North America, only the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccine is approved for individuals aged 12-17. Most patients treated with contemporary regimens for acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive PEG-asparaginase (PEG-ASNase) and 10%-30% will develop allergic reactions. Optimizing access and safety for vaccine administration for these patients is critical. This report describes a process developed to support COVID vaccination in a cohort of adolescents and young adults with a history of PEG-ASNase allergy.