COVID-19 Vaccines: The Allergology and Immunological Perspective

What do you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines?

“COVID-19 Vaccines: The Allergology and Immunological Perspective” is a webinar aimed at the patient leaders of GAAPP´s member organizations. In our webinar, we will explain how the different COVID-19 vaccines work, and what their possible side effects for patients with allergies or atopic diseases are. Moreover, we will clear up misconceptions about the contraindication of the vaccine for some chronic respiratory and atopic diseases. Furthermore, we will also discuss the topic of measuring tryptase to diagnose if there is a reaction and the possibility of anaphylaxis.

This webinar took place on December 10th, 2021 at 14h CET. .

About Dr. Purvi Parikh

Purvi Parikh, MD, FACAAI, FACP, is an allergist and immunologist at allergy and asthma associates of Murray hill. She is currently on faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor in both departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Parikh has published articles in allergy, asthma, and immunodeficiency syndromes in various peer-reviewed journals and textbooks.

An Advocacy Champion

She is a champion and spokesperson for the United Nation Foundation’s vaccine initiative Shot@life and has traveled on their behalf to Zambia. She recently participated in a vaccine panel with Zoe Saldana and Aaron Sherinian, representing shot@life.

She is also a spokesperson for the Allergy and Asthma Network, the leading patient advocacy group for patients and their families who suffer from life-threatening allergic and immunologic conditions. She frequently makes appearances as a medical expert on their behalf to NBC, FOX, CNN, Wallstreet Journal, CNBC, and CBS. She also regularly contributes to numerous print magazines and other publications.

She has been passionate about health policy since she was a medical student and sits on committees for the American Medical Association and the Board of directors of the American College of allergy asthma and Immunology advocacy council. She travels to Washington, D.C. multiple times per year to influence policy, testify before the government, and advocate for her patients.

COVID-19 Vaccine Research

During the pandemic, in addition to taking care of patients, she is an investigator/researcher in three (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi)  of the Covid-19 vaccine trials at NYU Langone Health’s vaccine center. She also is part of the Momivax trial, which studies vaccine safety in pregnant and breastfeeding moms and their babies. She is also now involved in covid long-haul research. Since the early days of the pandemic, Dr. Parikh has volunteered her time daily to tirelessly fight misinformation at the grassroots level through community organizations, in the local and national media, social media, and alongside government officials such as the surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murty, Immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the U.S. Department of health and human services.

Other Accomplishments

She was the youngest president of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society in 2018.  She was recently named in Emory University’s inaugural 40 under 40 class, where they chose outstanding young alumni in their 20s and 30s from all of Emory’s graduate and undergraduate programs. She recently received the most distinguished young physician award from the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin for 2020-2021 due to her work in vaccine research and on the front lines of the global pandemic. She also received the Dr. I A Modi award in the young physician category for excellence in Medicine in February of 2021 by the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

With the generous support of