December 17, 2020 10:40:18 am
A syringe contains one dose of Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine in a container, Wednesday, December 16, 2020, during a vaccine clinic at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The hospital, Alaska’s largest, plans to vaccinate 485 people this week. ((Loren Holmes / Anchorage Daily News via AP, Pool)
An Alaskan health worker had a severe allergic reaction after receiving the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, but is now stable, public health authorities said Wednesday.
The adverse reaction in the person, minutes after receiving the injection from Pfizer on Tuesday, was similar to two cases reported last week in Britain.
The British medical regulator has said that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions to a drug or food should not receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
But the US Food and Drug Administration has said that most Americans with allergies should be sure to get the vaccine. He said that only people who have previously had severe allergic reactions to vaccines or the ingredients in this particular vaccine should avoid getting the injection.
The Alaskan patient had no history of allergic reactions, Lindy Jones, director of the emergency department in the capital Juneau, where the patient was treated, told reporters in a virtual briefing.
Symptoms in the middle-aged patient resolved after receiving epinephrine for allergy treatment, Jones said.
The patient was still at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau being monitored Wednesday.
Pfizer said the vaccine comes with a clear caveat that proper medical treatment and supervision should always be available in the event of anaphylaxis, but would update the vaccine’s label language if necessary.
Administration of the vaccine began Monday in the United States, following authorization for emergency use last week. The first doses have been reserved for health workers and residents of nursing homes.
Former FDA chief scientist Jesse Goodman called the allergic reaction worrisome, but said more information needs to be learned to better understand the risks.
“What we need to know is what is the denominator, how many doses have been administered? Is this something that will be seen with greater incidence with this vaccine than with others? “Goodman said.” We will have to find out those things to report if that changes the recommendations or how it is used. “
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