“Find out more”: Duke Duke with a history of severe allergies receives COVID-19 vaccine

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) – A Duke doctor with a history of severe allergies who recently received the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is urging people like her to research and talk to her doctor about vaccination.

Dra. Leonor Corsino, endocrinologist and conf. Duke’s medical professor told ABC11 she did her research before choosing to get vaccinated and found the benefits far outweighed the risks.

“There are many reasons why,” he said. “Obviously, one is because I wanted to be vaccinated to protect myself and my patients.”

Many of the patients Corsino treats weekly have diabetes and are at increased risk for serious illness if they contract the virus.

“Second, I believe in vaccination,” Corsino said. “I’ve always received all my vaccines in the past. I rely on science, as a researcher myself.”

According to the CDC vaccine adverse event reporting system, there have been seven reports of an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine and one to the Modern vaccine in the US.

The CDC has recently updated its guidelines:

• People who are allergic to any ingredient in a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, including PEG or polysorbate, should not receive any of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines.
• If you had a severe allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, you should not receive the second dose.
• If you have an immediate, if not severe, allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, you should not receive any of the available COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

In 2012, Corsino ended up in Duke’s emergency department, unaware of what triggered the anaphylactic reaction that prompted her to always wear an Epipen.

When he was given the Pfizer vaccine during the first days of his implantation in Duke, he refused.

“However, after seeing more than 2 million healthcare providers have received the vaccine in the last two weeks and seeing the number of cases that have been reported, I feel more comfortable,” he said.

Thus, after research, Corsino obtained his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on 28 December.

“I didn’t really have many worries, I didn’t have pain in my arm, which I know some people have reported,” he said. “I had a little red in my ears and a little tired the next day. But then, I felt perfectly fine.”
As a member of Duke’s Latin-19, a defense team formed during the pandemic to reach and help the Latino population through it, Corsino said it was one of the most important reasons for him to make the informed decision to get vaccinated.

“My goal as a Latino and immigrant myself is to educate my community so that they feel easy to follow the recommendations, so we don’t continue to lose valuable lives because of this pandemic that is disproportionately impacting them,” he said . .

For now, Corsino said he encourages others to do what he did.

“Read it,” he said. “Find out. Take the time to make the decision.”

He now wants to schedule his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I don’t care,” he said. “I have my Epipen. We know anaphylaxis is something we can treat. And in that sense, I’m sure I’ll get my second dose.”