Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (left) and Modern COVID-19 (right).
Matic Zorman | Getty Images
The National Institutes of Health said Wednesday it has begun examining why some people have suffered severe allergic reactions shortly after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech and Modern Covid-19 vaccines.
“It is understandable that the public is concerned about reports of rare and severe allergic reactions to Modern and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the NIH. , he said in a statement.
“The information gathered during this trial will help doctors advise people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder about the risks and benefits of receiving these two vaccines. However, for most people, Benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 far outweigh the risks, “he said.
Medical experts say allergic reactions to vaccines are rare, but can sometimes occur. Most rare and severe allergic reactions to vaccines have occurred in people with a history of allergies, public health officials have reported. An immediate allergic reaction usually occurs within 4 hours of vaccination and may include symptoms such as hives, swelling, and wheezing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The NIH study will enroll 3,400 adults between the ages of 18 and 69 in a maximum of 35 academic allergy research centers across the country, the agency said. Participants will be divided into groups and randomly assigned to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Modern vaccine, a placebo followed by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or a placebo followed by the Modern vaccine.
Alkis Togias, head of NIAID’s allergy, asthma and airway biology branch, told CNBC in December that U.S. agency investigators were interested in the rare phenomenon after reporting that some people had reactions to the Pfizer vaccine which was described as anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.
The CDC has been asking health care providers to monitor patients for 15 minutes after vaccination and 30 minutes for those with a history of allergic reactions.
If someone has a severe allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends that you do not get the second dose of this vaccine, even if the allergic reaction was not enough. severe enough to require emergency care.