New York City reported its first “significant allergic reaction” to a health professional who received the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday, the only adverse reaction it has received from more than 30,000 injections administered to date.
The worker has been treated and is in stable condition, city officials said. Allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine have been reported in clinical trials and since the FDA approved emergency use earlier this month, but these remain rare.
Health officials say they are closely monitoring reports of more serious side effects in conjunction with the CDC. In the meantime, it will continue to distribute vaccines to ensure that front-line workers and nursing home residents and staff are protected from the virus, health officials said in a statement.
No specific details about the allergic reaction of the affected employee were immediately available. The city did not release additional information on the case during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s COVID briefing on Wednesday, citing confidentiality rules.
“Vaccines, including the COVID vaccine, are generally safe,” said Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, during the briefing. “For the vast majority of allergy sufferers, the COVID vaccine is safe and effective for you.”
People with a history of allergic reactions to any type of vaccine or injection should have discussions with their doctor before getting the COVID-19 vaccine, Chokshi added.
Rare allergic reactions were reported in the UK before the Pfizer / BioNTech was rolled out in the US, which has since reported similar, unusual reactions. Three of these involved health workers in Alaska.
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Earlier this week, an official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNBC that the US is investigating why some people have developed serious allergic reactions after taking the injections.
The study, which is still in its early planning phase, is expected to include “ several hundred ” people with a history of severe allergic reactions, Alkis Togias, chief of the NIAID’s division of Allergy, Asthma and Airway Biology, told CNBC. Although the rare reactions have been reported by people who received an injection of Pfizer, the study may look at the vaccines made by both Pfizer and Moderna.
The hope is to get it off the ground within weeks, officials told CNBC.