NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating five allergic reactions people received this week after administering the Covid-19 vaccine to Pfizer Inc. and Bionettech SE in the United States, a senior FDA official said late Friday.
The director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr. Allergic reactions have been found in more than one state, including Alaska, Peter Marks said at a press conference.
Gunn also said that a chemical called polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is an ingredient in the Pfizer vaccine – as well as the official Moderna Ink vaccine on Friday – could be the “culprit” that causes reactions.
Guna said that P.G.G. Allergic reactions may be more common than previously thought.
The cases in Alaska were similar to the two cases reported in Britain last week.
Britain’s medical regulator has said that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis, or a severe allergic reaction to a drug or food, should not be given the Pfizer-bionate COVID-19 vaccine.
But the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration says most Americans with allergies should be safe to receive the vaccine. He says only people who have previously had severe allergic reactions to the vaccine or ingredients in this particular vaccine should avoid taking shots.
On Friday, the FDA said Moderna vaccine should not be given to individuals with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any of the components of the shot.
The regulator also requires that appropriate medical treatment be available for immediate allergic reactions when a shot is given in case of an anaphylactic reaction.
Pfizer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Reported by Michael Irman; Edited by Diana Kraft and Daniel Weiss
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