Twenty-nine COVID-19 vaccine recipients in the United States suffered severe allergic reactions after receiving the shot, health officials said Wednesday.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, has occurred among beneficiaries of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, although officials said it was a “rare result” and no deaths were reported.
“As you can imagine, there are huge efforts underway to understand what may be causing these allergic reactions,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the agency’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters.
Messonnier said he was still collecting information on all cases of anaphylaxis – especially with the Moderna vaccine, as it accounted for less than the 4.8 million doses given so far.
The agency revealed in a report on Wednesday that there were 21 cases of anaphylaxis out of 1.9 million people who received the first dose of Pfizer vaccine.
Seventeen of the 21 people had a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, seven of whom had previously experienced anaphylaxis, Messonnier said.
But the rate is higher than among people who have received the flu vaccine.
Influenza vaccines cause anaphylaxis in about 1.3 people in 1 million beneficiaries, while about 11.1 Pfizer beneficiaries in every million have had the reaction, the CDC estimates.
“You could say mathematically that it’s 10 times the amount, but I think the idea is missing because it’s still extremely rare,” Messonnier said.
“We all hope that any vaccine will have zero side effects, but even in 11 cases for 1 million doses, it is a very safe vaccine.”
She added that the risk of contracting COVID-19 or experiencing a poor outcome of the virus is even higher.
Fortunately, we know how to treat anaphylaxis and we have put in place immunizations, Messonnier said.
Anyone with an allergic reaction to the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended to receive the second dose of the two-dose regimen, Messonnier said.
The agency urges anyone with a history of allergies to consult their healthcare provider to determine if they should receive the vaccine.
“There is a difference between someone who had a mild allergic reaction as a child and someone who had a major allergic relationship last week,” Messonnier said.
It will be important to have a clinician to help you exercise judgment instead of having hard and fast rules. “