A third Alaska health worker has suffered an allergic reaction to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Severe allergic reactions can occur with any vaccine, but they are extremely rare.
The employee, one of nearly 300 who received the vaccine Friday at Foundation Health Partners’ Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, said in a statement shared by the hospital that his experience should not deter others from getting vaccinated. .
“Anaphylaxis is a potential but rare but expected side effect that can be treated and has no long-term health implications like COVID,” said the worker, who wants to remain anonymous. “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, to get families to to embrace again, to get children back to schools and to get the country on the other side of this pandemic. “
He added that “he has seen first-hand the suffering and death of patients with COVID” and that his “adverse reaction to the vaccine worsens what COVID infection can do to people.”
According to the hospital, the employee “showed signs of anaphylactic reaction, with an increase in heartbeat, shortness of breath and rash and redness” ten minutes after receiving the vaccine. The CDC recommends that all vaccine recipients be observed for 15 minutes after injection and that “people with a history of anaphylaxis (for any reason)” be observed for 30 minutes. The hospital said in a statement that all its employees are being observed receiving the vaccine for 15 to 30 minutes.
The Pfizer Food and Drug Administration fact sheet, which is delivered to vaccine recipients and caregivers, warns that “there is a remote possibility that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may cause a reaction to · Severe allergies ”. And he adds that “a severe allergic reaction would normally occur within minutes to an hour after receiving a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.”
Dr. Mark Dykewicz, an allergy and immunology expert at Saint Louis University Hospital in Missouri and a member of the FDA’s Allergy Advisory Committee, said that while the reactions are severe, they are giving vaccines in environments where medical staff are prepared to treat anaphylaxis. . According to the hospital, the Fairbanks Temporary Vaccine Clinic is equipped with an emergency anaphylaxis kit.
The worker, who, according to Fairbanks, has no allergies, “received two doses of epinephrine in the Emergency Department of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (FMH), where she remained under observation and was discharged approximately six hours later. to receive the doses “.
“Allergic reactions, although rare, can occur with injections of medications and vaccines,” said the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Angelique Ramirez. “That’s why our staff is trained and prepared to respond to any symptoms of anaphylaxis. Our employee is doing well and was able to return home yesterday.”
Two employees at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, she also experienced allergic reactions, one severe and one mild, earlier in the week. Both were treated and recovered.
The employee who suffered a severe reaction also appeared ten minutes after the injection, according to Dr. Lindy Jones, Bartlett’s emergency director. “He was given epinephrine and Benadryl, which was admitted to the hospital, and he was given an intravenous drip of epinephrine. His reaction was severe, but it did not endanger his life.”
“All the while, she was still excited to receive the vaccine and the benefits it would provide her in the future,” Jones said. The hospital statement said he also “still encouraged his colleagues to get the vaccine.”
According to the CDC, as of Friday, there were six confirmed cases of anaphylaxis after vaccination in the United States. As of Saturday morning, 272,001 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been given nationwide, according to a CDC report on allergic reactions.
According to the company, there were no anaphylaxis reactions during the Pfizer trial on the drug to about 22,000 people. “Overall, no safety signs of concern were identified in our clinical trials, including any signs of serious allergic reactions associated with the vaccine,” Pfizer said in a statement to CBS News. “However, reports of adverse events outside of clinical trials are a very important component of our pharmacovigilance activities and we will review all available information on this case and all reports of adverse events after vaccination.”
On Thursday, following reports of the first serious reaction, Pfizer said he “did not yet have all the details of the Alaska report on a possible severe allergic reaction,” but was “actively working with local health authorities to evaluate it “.
“We will closely monitor all reports suggesting severe allergic reactions after vaccination and update the labeling language if necessary,” the company statement says. “Prescription information has a clear warning / precaution that appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be available in the event of a rare anaphylactic event following the administration of the vaccine.”
Dykewicz said that “it is true that it should be noted that both reactions occurred at the same medical center.”
“It’s a curious finding that deserves further investigation,” he said.