A health worker in Alaska developed a severe allergic reaction in Juneau on Tuesday afternoon after receiving coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech. Anchorage Daily News.
Health officials said on Wednesday that the employee began having an anaphylactic reaction about 10 minutes after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital. The reaction included flushing and shortness of breath and she was taken to the emergency room.
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Officials say the worker had an increased heart rate and a red rash on her face and torso and was treated with epinephrine and antihistamines, to which she responded. But her symptoms reappeared and she was treated with more epinephrine and steroids.
Doctors said she was moved to intensive care for observation from one day to the next, but was in stable condition and was doing well Wednesday. She is expected to be released on Wednesday evening as long as she does not show symptoms. Because of her response, she will not receive the second dose that is normal with the vaccine.
Federal guidelines state that people receiving the vaccine should be observed for 15 minutes after the injection, while those with a history of allergic reactions should be observed for 30 minutes. Authorities say the woman had no history of drug allergies.
“We will closely monitor all reports of severe allergic reactions following vaccination and update the language of the labeling as necessary,” said Pfizer spokeswoman Jerica Pitts. Washington Post. “The prescribing information contains a clear warning / precaution that appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be readily available in the event of a rare anaphylactic event following vaccine administration.”
The woman’s reaction is believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions of two health workers in Britain after receiving the vaccine last week. The incidents prompted the UK to warn that anyone with a history of allergic reactions to medicines or food should not use the vaccine.
Pfizer’s trial of more than 40,000 participants found no serious health problems caused by the vaccine, and the shot was considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and received emergency approval.
The first doses of the vaccine were rolled out to health professionals across the country on Monday.
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