The California state epidemiologist called for suspending the application of more than 300,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna after some people received medical attention for possible severe allergic reactions.
Dr. Erica S. Pa recommended on Sunday that suppliers stop using batch 41L20A of the Moderna vaccine until an investigation is completed by state authorities, Moderna, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“For further caution, and also acknowledging the extremely limited supply of vaccines, we recommend that suppliers use another available vaccine inventory,” Pa said in a statement.
He commented that more than 330,000 doses of the batch arrived in California between Jan. 5 and 12 and were distributed to 287 suppliers.
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Less than 10 people, all of whom received the vaccine at the same site, required medical attention for a 24-hour period, Pan said. No similar groups were found.
Pa did not specify the number of cases involved or the location where they occurred.
However, six San Diego health workers had allergic reactions to vaccines they received at a mass inoculation center on Jan. 14. The site was temporarily closed and is now using other vaccines, KTGV TV reported.
Moderna noted in a statement that the company “is not aware of comparable adverse events from other vaccination centers that may have administered vaccines from the same batch.”
The CDC has said COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects for a few days such as fever, chills, headache, swelling or fatigue, “which are normal signs that your body is developing protection.”
However, severe reactions are extremely unusual. Pa said that in a vaccine similar to Modern’s, the rate of anaphylaxis – in which a reaction by the immune system can block breathing and cause a drop in blood pressure – was about one. and 100,000.
Meanwhile, California counties continued to call for more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of state measures to reduce its infection rate, which has resulted in record hospitalizations and deaths.