WASHINGTON: Nearly 4,400 adverse events were reported after people received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, with 21 cases determined to be anaphylaxis, according to a report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on December 11, 2020, administered as two separate 21-day doses, Xinhua news agency reported.
As of December 23, 2020, a total of 1,893,360 first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the United States, according to the CDC report.
Reports of 4,393 adverse events were submitted to the vaccine adverse event reporting system in the country.
Of these, 175 case reports were identified for further review as possible cases of severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis.
Twenty-one cases were found to be anaphylaxis, including 17 in people with a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, seven of whom had a history of anaphylaxis, according to the CDC.
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that rarely occurs after vaccination, usually starting within minutes to hours, the CDC said.
Locations administering Covid-19 vaccines should follow CDC instructions for the use of jabs, including screening recipients for contraindications and precautions, having the necessary resources available for anaphylaxis management, implementation of recommended post-vaccination observation periods, and immediate treatment of suspected anaphylaxis. with intramuscular injection of epinephrine, the CDC said.