WASHINGTON – A health worker in Alaska had a severe allergic reaction after receiving Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the man’s official health reports. The man was in the hospital under observation Wednesday morning.
Government officials rushed to the scene on Wednesday to learn more about the case. The worker has no history of drug allergies but according to a person familiar with the case, it is unclear whether he or she suffers from other types of allergies.
With millions of Americans expected to be vaccinated by the end of the year, the incident is likely to alert federal officials to be more cautious for signs of serious side effects. The Alaskan recipient’s reaction was thought to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions experienced by two health workers in Britain after receiving the Pfizer-Bioentech vaccine last week. Both recovered.
Pfizer’s trial in the United States, which involved more than 1,000,000 people, found no serious adverse effects from the vaccine, although many participants experienced pain, favors, and other side effects. Severe allergic reactions to the vaccine are usually associated with the vaccine due to their timing.
Pfizer spokeswoman Jerica Pitts said the company did not yet have all the details of the case but was working with local health officials. The vaccine warns with information that medical treatment should be available in the event of a rare anaphylactic event, he said. “We will closely monitor all reports of indications of severe allergic reactions after vaccination and update the labeling language if necessary,” Ms. Pitts said.
In Britain, after workers fell ill, officials there initially warned that anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions would be vaccinated. He later clarified his concern, changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to “never giving the vaccine to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, drug or vaccine.” Such reactions to the vaccine are very rare, they said.
Pfizer officials said the two Britons who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, has a history of egg allergies. Another, a 40-year-old woman, has a history of allergies to many different drugs. In the case of such a reaction both carried epinephrine-like devices themselves for injection from epinephrine.
Pfizer said its vaccine does not contain egg elements.
The British Amendment also said the third patient had a “possible allergic reaction”, but did not describe it.
In the United States, federal regulators on Friday issued a comprehensive authorization for vaccines for adults 16 years of age or older. Health care providers were warned not to vaccinate anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any of the components of the vaccine, which they said is a standard warning for vaccines.
But because of the British cases, FDA officials have said that once the vaccination is used, they will have to increase their monitoring of Pfizer for anaphylaxis and submit data on it. Pfizer also said that it is recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings where the equipment for administering anaphylaxis is accessible. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people with severe allergies could be vaccinated safely, with close monitoring for up to 30 minutes after the shot was received.
Anaphylaxis can be fatal, with shortness of breath and a drop in blood pressure that usually occurs within minutes or seconds of exposure to a food or drug, or a latex-like substance to which a person is allergic.
