Chief Scientific Adviser to Operation Warp Speed said the frequency of allergic reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is higher than expected for other times, according to a report.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui said the last time allergic reactions were reported was on Tuesday, when there were six cases, and added that data on COVID-19 vaccines remain for behind the actual figures, CNN reported.
“This frequency, as it was yesterday, is higher than could be expected with other vaccines,” he said.
Slaoui said there are talks between vaccine manufacturers and the National Institutes of Health to consider conducting clinical trials of vaccines in highly allergic populations, such as people who should always carry an EpiPen antiallergic drug.
On Monday, an official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said the U.S. is studying why some people have suffered severe allergic reactions shortly after receiving the shot from Pfizer.
Alkis Togias, head of the biology branch for allergies, asthma and respiratory tract at NIAID, told CNBC that “several hundred people” with a history of severe allergic reactions will participate in a study.