The doctor had symptoms of tongue swelling, hoarse voice, and difficulty breathing, FHP said. The doctor, a female two-year-old employee, was transported from the vaccination clinic to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where she was given two doses of epinephrine. She remained in hospital for observation and was released six hours later.
According to FHP, the employee reported that she had no known allergies, although she had once experienced a reaction to a bee sting.
The doctor was one of nearly 300 workers who received the vaccine on Thursday.
The first employee was taken to the emergency room on Tuesday after reporting shortness of breath. According to Dr. Lindy Jones, an attending physician at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, the cleaner had an elevated heart rate and developed a rash on her face and torso. She was given epinephrine and responded well.
However, during the evening the symptoms resurfaced and the worker was given steroids and an epinephrine drip. The next day the worker had stabilized. Jones said the employee had no history of vaccine allergies.
A second employee on Wednesday “experienced bags in the eyes, light-headedness and an itchy throat ten minutes after he was injected with the vaccine,” said a statement from Bartlett Regional. After administration of epinephrine, Pepcid, and Benadryl, the worker “was back to normal within an hour and was released”.
The two in Juneau worked in the same hospital system, and it is unclear if there are other links between the two incidents.
Both incidents were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health authorities. The FHP stated they also shared details of Thursday’s response to state and federal agencies.
But because so many people are discussing the vaccine at once, the public may perceive these serious reactions as much more often than they are.
Pfizer commented in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KTVF.
“We do not yet have full details of the recent Alaska report on a possible serious allergic reaction, but are actively working with local health authorities to assess this. We will closely monitor all reports that indicate serious allergic reactions after vaccination and the language. of the labeling. if necessary. “
The company said it provides clear warnings, advises precautions, and that medical treatment and supervision “should always be readily available” in the event of a severe allergic reaction. The company also noted that those with a history of such reactions were excluded from phase 3 studies.
Overall, no safety signals of concern were identified in our clinical studies, including no sign of serious allergic reactions related to the vaccine. However, adverse event reports outside of clinical studies are a very important part of our pharmacovigilance activities and we will review this. All available information on this matter and all reports of adverse reactions after vaccination, ”the statement said.
The doctor in Fairbanks, who wanted to maintain her privacy, released the following statement encouraging others to get the vaccine, according to FHP:
“Anaphylaxis is a rare but anticipated potential side effect that is treatable and has no long-term health implications like Covid. the health of all Americans, for the economy, getting families to hug again, to get children back to school, and to get the country on the other side of this pandemic.
“I’ve seen firsthand the suffering and death of Covid patients and my negative response to the vaccine pales in comparison to what a Covid infection can do to humans.”
CNN’s Danielle Sills, Nadia Kounang and Virginia Langmaid contributed to this report.