Omalizumab and Covid-19 vaccine, what should I know?

If you are being treated with omalizumab, you can be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccination at any time, but the ACAAI (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) recommends that the COVID-19 vaccine and omalizumab not be given on the same day since, if a reaction or a side effect occurs, it may be challenging to work out which injection was to blame. The ACAAI suggests separating the COVID-19 vaccination and omalizumab by at least 24 hours. There is no reason to stop omalizumab until you complete the course of the COVID-19 vaccinations.

Some countries (such as Germany) recommend a spacing of at least a week between the COVID-19 vaccination and an omalizumab injection; however, this is not the position of the ACAAI.

Because omalizumab works on the allergic arm of the immune system, it does not appear to compromise the immune system like traditional immunosuppressants, such as prednisone and cyclosporine. Omalizumab is not associated with an increased risk of infection nor increases the risk for COVID-19. If you are taking omalizumab for asthma, nasal polyps, or urticaria you are not at increased risk for allergic reactions after the COVID-19 vaccination. There is no data to suggest that biologics have any effect (good or bad) on a person’s response to a COVID-19 vaccine including a booster injection. Only patients on daily oral corticosteroids of 20mg or more are considered immunocompromised by the CDC.