A hospital in the Chicago area abruptly stopped administering the coronavirus vaccine to its staff after four employees experienced reactions after receiving the vaccine.
What are the details?
Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville said that since the administration of the Pfizer COVID vaccine on Thursday, four staff members “experienced tingling and an increased heart rate shortly after the injection,” WMAQ-TV reported.
In response, the hospital stopped administering the vaccine.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily pausing vaccinations at Condell, giving us time to better understand what may have caused these reactions,” the hospital said in a statement.
Meanwhile, attorney Aurora Health – the umbrella organization of which the Libertyville Hospital is a member – warned that reactions are not part of a bigger problem with the vaccine, highlighting the fact that they have administered thousands of doses with just the four reactions.
“These four team members represent less than 0.15% of the approximately 3,000 who have received vaccinations so far from Advocate Aurora Health. Right now we can share that three team members are at home and doing well, and one is receiving additional treatment,” the hospital system said, WLS-TV reported.
However, the interruption was brief.
On Saturday, the medical system said they would resume vaccination administration on Sunday after the observation times were adjusted after vaccine administration.
“Our on-site vaccination teams remain willing to respond quickly and appropriately if anyone experiences any response,” said WFLD-TV. “With great caution, we extended our post-vaccination evaluation period to 30 minutes for all individuals at all of our sites, exceeding CDC / ACIP recommendations.
Something else?
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that they are investigating the side effects of the vaccine.
Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a press conference that scientists are not sure what is responsible for the allergic reactions, but pointed to polyethylene glycol as the possible “culprit.”
The ingredient is present in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
However, health experts say the allergic reactions don’t mean the vaccine is unsafe for Americans with allergies. Instead, only those with a history of allergic reactions to vaccines, or with any of the ingredients present in either vaccine, should temporarily delay inoculation.