Dangerous hay fever jab promoted despite crackdown on illegal adverts
A dangerous hay fever jab is being promoted despite a crackdown on illegal adverts, as pollen counts are expected to soar this week.
The regulator has been forced to reprimand private clinics promoting the steroid-based injection, while the NHS is urging the public “against its use” because of the “serious side effects” associated with the jab.
The £75 injection of triamcinolone, also known by brand name Kenalog, had its licence revoked for treating hay fever in 2019 over safety fears.
The drug works by suppressing the immune system and is long-lasting but can cause serious side effects, including thinning of the bones, darkening of the skin, and hair loss, as well as making it harder for the body to defend itself against bugs and viruses.
Using the drug to treat hay fever has been compared to “using a hammer to crack nuts” by some medics.
The warning over the drugs’ use comes as the Met Office issued an alert to hay fever sufferers that high pollen levels are expected across swathes of the country, stretching from the North West and Yorkshire down to the south coast at the start of the week.
Sufferers often desperate
Hay fever affects around 10 million people and is caused by allergies to tree pollen, grass pollen and weed pollen, all of which are circulating in spring. Symptoms include a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure.
There is no cure and sufferers are often desperate to find relief during pollen peaks.
Kenalog is effective but comes at a heavy cost and was banned from NHS use more than a decade ago.
But doctors at private clinics have continued to prescribe it off-label – for purposes other than what it is licensed for – under an exemption that allows them to use their own clinical judgement.
In 2022 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced a crackdown on private clinic adverts promoting the drug for hay fever, including online and on social media.
Despite this, practices have continued to advertise the jab with one clinic reprimanded by the MHRA last week.
In an update the regulator said Cheltenham-based Ruth Jackson Aesthetics had “amended their advertising following MHRA action” because it had promoted Kenalog for hay fever.
Clinics still offer injection
It is against strict advertising rules to promote the jab for hay fever or label it as a hay fever injection or jab, but search engine results reveal dozens of private clinics in England are still offering the injection to treat hay fever.
David Webb, the chief pharmaceutical officer for the NHS in England, said: “In line with guidance from the MHRA, Kenalog is not a licensed treatment for hay fever and we would advise against its use – it can have serious side effects.
“If you are struggling with hay fever, speak to a pharmacist or GP – medicines such as antihistamines, nasal sprays or other specialised treatments are available and safe for use,” he added.
Dr Sophie Farooque, an NHS allergy consultant in London, told the What Your GP Does Not Tell You podcast, that the injection could cause “thinning of the bones and it can also lead to permanent skin changes”.
“I remember dealing with one patient who worked as a driver and essentially had years of Kenalog because nothing else worked and probably hadn’t tried other medications in the correct way,” she said.
“As a result of Kenalog, he had thinning of his bones, fractured his wrist and he lost his job. So I would say avoid these drugs.”
She added: “If it’s reaching the point where nothing seems to be working and you feel like, ‘gosh, I have to get that injection because things are unbearable’, you need to be referred to a specialist rather than reaching out for the injection.”
Margaret Kelman, a specialist allergy nurse at Allergy UK, said the UK guidance not recommending its use was based on “the most effective clinical practice and evidence for the management of hay fever, which is why we recommend the use of non-sedating antihistamines as first-line treatment”.
