Alaska clinician is the third in the state to have an allergic reaction to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this week
- A Fairbanks, Alaska doctor suffered anaphylactic symptoms 10 minutes after receiving Pfizer’s shot
- The worker was treated with epinephrine and released from the hospital about six hours later
- He said he would still “recommend it to anyone, despite my reaction, to help our country get immunized.”
- Two Juneau health workers experienced reactions when they were shot earlier this week
A Fairbanks clinician suffered from anaphylactic symptoms after receiving the Pfizer Inc coronavirus vaccine, a hospital said Friday, becoming the third Alaska health worker to suffer an adverse reaction to the new drug.
The clinician, whose name was not disclosed, began showing symptoms about ten minutes after he was inoculated Thursday, according to the Health Partners Foundation, operator of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The health worker was treated with epinephrine in the hospital emergency room and released about six hours later, Foundation Health Partners said in a written statement.
An Alaska clinician is the third in the state this week to suffer an adverse reaction to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine
The doctor worked at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
The health worker still recommends the shot, which was administered in Arizona on December 18, despite her adverse reaction
Two Juneau health workers suffered adverse reactions to the medication earlier this week. One was briefly hospitalized in that city for anaphylaxis after being vaccinated on Tuesday. The second had a milder reaction Wednesday and was rushed to the hospital emergency room and released.
“Allergic reactions, although uncommon, can occur with injections of medications and vaccines,” said Dr. Angelique Ramirez, medical director of the Health Partners Foundation, Dr. Angelique Ramirez.
The Fairbanks clinic issued its own statement which was included in the Foundation Health Partners version.
“I would get the vaccine and recommend it to anyone, despite my reaction, to help our country get vaccinated which is necessary for the health of all Americans, for the economy, for families to return to to embrace, to get children back to schools and to get the country on the other side of this pandemic, ”the health worker said.
Alaska received the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine on Sunday evening, state officials said. Lots have been shipped across the state, including by seaplane and boat to more remote locations.