Expert says Covid-19 vaccines safe for people with asthma

MANILA – A health expert on Monday said getting a Covid-19 vaccine is not a contraindication for persons suffering from asthma.

Dr. Rommel Crisencio Lobo, a clinical immunologist and a member of National Adverse Effects Following Immunization Committee allayed fears of a severe attack among persons with asthma once they get inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine.

“If you’re an asthmatic and you’re on maintenance of inhaled steroids, usually, it is not a contraindication for you to be vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine,” Lobo said in an online media briefing.

“Second, I would also like you to be enlightened that for example, in asthmatic patients, you should know what your triggers are. You should have consulted an allergist to be guided,” he added.

Lobo noted that asthma attacks are often triggered by an aeroallergen around the environment which patients inhale and “it is totally different from the Covid-19 vaccine or its component”.

“Definitely if you have (asthma), your asthma is not controlled, you have an attack. The doctor will say deferment, temporarily, but it doesn’t mean you won’t be vaccinated. When your asthma is controlled, the attack is no longer there. You can go and have yourself vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.

According to the World Health Organization, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine — the first vaccine authorized for emergency use in the Philippines, and Moderna have been found to be safe and effective in people with various conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe disease.

This includes hypertension, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary, liver or kidney disease, as well as chronic infections that are stable and controlled.