WASHINGTON: Nearly 4,400 adverse events were reported after people received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S., with 21 incidents determined to be anaphylaxis, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on December 11, 2020, administered as two doses separated by 21 days, Xinhua reported.
According to the CDC report, a total of 1,893,360 first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were administered on 23 December 2020.
Reports of 4,393 side effects have been submitted in the country to the vaccine reporting system.
Among them, 175 case reports were identified for further review as possible cases of severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis.
Twenty-one cases have been determined to be anaphylaxis, including 17 in persons with a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, seven of which, according to the CDC, had a history of anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that rarely occurs after vaccination, usually within minutes to hours, the CDC said.
Sites administering Covid-19 vaccines should follow the CDC guidelines for the use of the samples, including the recipients for contraindications and precautions, with the necessary supplies available to treat anaphylaxis, implement the recommended post-vaccination observation periods, and immediately treat the suspicion of anaphylaxis. with intramuscular injection of epinephrine, the CDC said.
