The clinic showed symptoms of swollen tongue, hoarse voice and difficulty breathing, according to FHP. The clinic, a two-year-old woman, was transported from the vaccine clinic to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where she was given two doses of epinephrine. She remained in the hospital for observation and was released six hours later.
According to FHP, the employee reported that she did not have any known allergies, although she once had a reaction to a bee sting.
The clinician was one of nearly 300 employees who received the vaccine on Thursday.
The first worker on Tuesday was taken to the emergency room after reporting breathing difficulties. According to Dr. Lindy Jones, a physician at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, the worker had a high heart rate and developed a rash that covered her face and torso. He was given epinephrine and responded well.
However, during the evening, the symptoms reappeared and the worker was offered steroids and a drop of epinephrine. By the next day, the worker had stabilized. Jones said the worker has no history of vaccine allergies.
A second worker on Wednesday “suffered from eye swelling, mild dizziness and throat scratches ten minutes after the vaccine was injected,” according to a statement from Bartlett Regional. After receiving epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, the worker returned to normal within an hour and was released.
The two from Juneau worked in the same hospital system and it is not clear if there are other connections between the two incidents.
Both incidents were reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health authorities. FHP said they also shared details of Thursday’s reaction to state and federal agencies.
But because so many people talk about the vaccine at once, the public may perceive these severe reactions as much more common than they are.
Pfizer commented in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KTVF.
“We do not yet have all the details of the recent Alaska report on a potential serious allergic reaction, but we are actively working with local health authorities to assess. We will closely monitor all reports suggesting severe allergic reactions after vaccination and update the labeling language if necessary. “
The company said clear warnings are provided, precautions are recommended, and medical treatment and supervision “should always be available” in the event of a severe allergic reaction. The company also noted that those with a history of such reactions were excluded from the phase 3 studies.
“In general, no safety signs of concern were identified in our clinical trials, including any signs of severe allergic reactions associated with the vaccine. However, adverse event reports outside of clinical trials are a very important component of our pharmacovigilance activities and we will review all available information on this case and all adverse event reports after vaccination, ”the statement said.
The Fairbanks clinician, who wanted to keep his privacy, according to FHP, released the following statement encouraging others to receive the vaccine:
“Anaphylaxis is a rare but expected side effect that is treatable and has no long-term health implications, such as Covid. I would receive the vaccine and recommend it to anyone, despite my reaction, to help our country to Immunizing, necessary for the health of all Americans, for the economy, makes families embrace again, to bring children back to school, and to bring the country to the other side of this pandemic.
“I have directly seen the suffering and death of patients with Covid, and my adverse reaction to the vaccine pales in what Covid infection can do to people.”
Danielle Sills, Nadia Kounang and Virginia Langmaid contributed to this report.