A pharmacist dilutes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine while preparing it for administration to staff and residents of the Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, an elderly community in Falls Church, Virginia, on Dec. 30, 2020.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
The Covid-19 vaccine appears to be causing serious allergic reactions at a significantly faster rate than other vaccines in the first wave of Americans receiving the life-saving immunizations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
Although it is still rare, the CDC said there were 21 cases of anaphylaxis – a serious and life-threatening allergic reaction that rarely occurs after vaccination – of the nearly 1.9 million people who received their first injection of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine mid-day. – in late December, according to a study published Wednesday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
That would mean that about 11 people in every million people vaccinated were likely to develop anaphylaxis, according to CDC data – about 10 times higher than the flu vaccine.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters in a conference call that the vaccinations were safe for public use and that the serious allergic reactions – although higher – were still considered rare.
“The anaphylaxis rate for Covid-19 vaccines may seem high compared to flu vaccines, but I want to assure you that this is still a rare outcome,” Messonnier said in the call before the study was released. She added that the data applies to both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines, which use similar mRNA technology.
Of the 21 people who experienced the severe allergic reactions, 17 of them had a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions. Seven of those people had a history of anaphylaxis, the study found.
Most people experienced symptoms within 15 minutes of receiving the injection, although anaphylaxis can occur hours after someone is vaccinated, the CDC said. Of the 20 people with available follow-up information, all had recovered or been fired home, the study found.
Most people experienced symptoms within 15 minutes of receiving the injection, although anaphylaxis can occur hours after someone is vaccinated, the CDC said. Of the 20 people with available follow-up information, all had recovered or been fired home, the study found.
“Of course, we all hope that any vaccine has no side effects, but even at 11 cases per million doses administered, it is a very safe vaccine,” Messonnier said. She added that “enormous efforts” are underway to try to pinpoint exactly what is causing the severe allergic reactions.
The coronavirus kills an average of 2,670 people in the US every day, according to a CNBC analysis of data collected by Johns Hopkins University, making the vaccine a “good value proposition,” Messonnier said.
According to the interim guidelines of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, last updated in December, everyone should be observed for 15 minutes after their vaccination to make sure they don’t develop symptoms. People with a history of anaphylaxis should be observed for 30 minutes, the committee advised.
The committee also suggested that people who develop anaphylaxis after their first dose should not receive a second dose, as both drugs should be spaced two weeks apart for full effectiveness. The CDC’s study said that each vaccination site should have supplies like epinephrine to treat patients who could develop the severe reactions.
“Fortunately, we know how to treat anaphylaxis, and we have made provisions to ensure that the people administering the vaccine are ready at the vaccination sites to treat anaphylaxis,” Messonnier said.