Meat Allergy in Nearly 2 in 10 COVID Jab Recipients: 'The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice'

Study participants were selected "without regards to history of allergic disease."

A study published Thursday in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice has revealed a surprising prevalence of alpha-gal sensitization among recipients of the COVID-19 injection in central Virginia.

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Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to red meat and other mammalian products usually contracted through tick bites, though research into other potential causes is ongoing.

The research team, including Dr. Nathan E. Richards and colleagues, focused on adults in central Virginia, primarily University of Virginia Health employees, who were recruited as part of a COVID jab study.

Importantly, the participants were selected “without regards to history of allergic disease,” providing a broad and unbiased sample of the adult population.

Though the study did not confirm a direct causal link between AGS and the COVID shot, since the participants were part of a COVID vaccine study and the study does report on the prevalence of alpha-gal sensitization, it raises the question of whether such a link could exist.

According to the study, “adults in central Virginia, primarily University of Virginia Health employees, were recruited as part of a COVID-19 vaccine study. Subjects provided at least one blood sample and answered questionnaires about medical and dietary history.”

The findings are striking: “Of 267 enrollees, median age was 42, 76% were female and 43 (16%) were sensitized to alpha-gal (cut-off 0.1 IU/mL).”

This means that nearly 2 in 10 participants who received the COVID shot exhibited sensitization to alpha-gal.

Furthermore, “mammalian meat allergy was reported by 7 (2.6%)” of these sensitized individuals.

The study also uncovered key risk factors associated with alpha-gal sensitization.

Sensitized subjects were found to be “older,” had “higher total IgE levels but similar frequency of IgE to common respiratory allergens,” and were “more likely to report tick bites than non-sensitized subjects.”

As the study highlights, the prevalence of alpha-gal sensitization among COVID jab recipients in this cohort underscores the need for increased awareness and consideration of AGS in clinical settings.

The full study is hidden behind a $36 paywall.

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