[ad_1]
Of the first 1.9 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States, 21 cases of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine were reported. But there is no need to be alarmed.
Part of the arguments of those who oppose the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines is that it could trigger allergic reactions of which there is still no knowledge. And according to Science Daily, of the first 1.9 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States, 21 cases of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine were reported. But there is no reason to be alarmed.
The rate of anaphylaxis seen so far (11.1 cases per 1 million vaccine doses) is higher than that of the influenza vaccine, which is 1.3 cases per 1 million doses, said Nancy Messonnier, director. from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (CDC) at a press conference. But reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are “still extremely rare,” he said. (You are interested: How will the vaccination against the coronavirus be in Colombia?)
“These are safe and effective vaccines. We have good data to prove it, ”Messonnier said. The country’s surveillance systems for vaccine side effects are “incredibly strong,” he said, and “the only thing we’ve seen is these severe allergic reactions.” (Colombia does not pull the one-dose vaccine scheme)
The UK, which was the first country to start vaccinating, has warned that it would not vaccinate people who have had allergic reactions in the past. The announcement came after two workers at the UK’s National Institute of Health (the NHS) had allergic reactions on Tuesday. It applies to those who have had reactions to drugs, foods or vaccines, said the Regulatory Agency for Medicines and Health Products. The two people had a reaction shortly after receiving the new jab, received treatment and are now fine.
They are believed to have had an anaphylactoid reaction, which tends to involve a skin rash, difficulty breathing, and sometimes a drop in blood pressure. This is not the same as anaphylaxis, which can be fatal, according to the BBC. Both workers had a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline pens with them.
According to the CDC, there are reports that some people have experienced severe allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. For example, an allergic reaction is considered serious when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine.
“If you have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, you should not receive any of the currently available COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. If you had a severe allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, the CDC recommends that you not receive the second dose, ”they write.
The Pfizer vaccine is the same that President Iván Duque authorized (for emergency use) in Colombia. On December 16, the National Vaccination Plan for Colombia was presented and it was announced that the country bought 40 million doses of biologicals for 20 million Colombians that will be applied free of charge in 2021, taking into account that the vaccine requires two doses per person .
The National Government signed the contract with AstraZeneca on December 16 for 10 million doses and on December 17 with Pfizer for the same amount. In addition, since October 30, the multilateral agreement with the COVAX mechanism was signed for 20 million doses, for a total of 40 million that will arrive in Colombia in the course of next year.
According to DANE’s projection, by 2021 Colombia will have 51,049,498 inhabitants. In order to generate herd immunity, according to scientific evidence, Ruiz Gómez explained, it is necessary to vaccinate 70% of the population, which is equivalent to 35,734,649 million Colombians.
Currently there are 1,500,000 people registered as positive cases of covid-19, who will not be included in the initial phase of the vaccination program. In other words, the total number of people to be vaccinated to promote herd immunity is 34,234,649, a figure that may change according to the evolution of the pandemic.
“At this moment, with the vaccines already acquired, which represent 20 million people, we can say that we have already acquired 58.4% of the vaccines that reach us for phase 1 and the beginning of phase 2,” he said.
