From VOA Learning English this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
As COVID-19 vaccinations begin, health officials around the world are watching for problems that may arise. These side effects – due to taking the vaccine – were expected and unexpected.
Allergic reactions
Recently, two health workers in the state of Alaska experienced allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. One had severe reaction and was admitted to hospital for observation. The reaction of the second worker was less serious.
Britain recently reported two similar cases. The Associated Press (AP) reports that these people have had severe allergies in the past. As a result, British officials have warned people with a history of serious drug allergies to delay vaccination.
Health officials in the United States do not give such a strong warning. Healthcare workers in the US always ask people about allergies before vaccinations. Instructions for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine say you should avoid it if you are very allergic to one of ingredients or has already had a reaction to it.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to stay under observation for about 15 minutes during a vaccination. Those with a history of allergies should stay 30 minutes. If they respond, they can be treated immediately.
However, doctors said the health worker in Alaska who had the severe allergic reaction had no history of allergies. She experienced redness in her face ten minutes after the first shot and had breathing problems. She will not get a second vaccine shot. The second Alaska worker experienced less severe signs. Her eyes become puffy, her throat scratch, and she feels shaky or light-headed.
Allergic reactions are common with new medicines. However, in this case, it is more difficult to detect COVID-19 vaccines for unexpected side effects.
This is due to the large number of people who need to be vaccinated next year. Another problem is the different types of vaccines used at the same time. It is quite possible that one vaccine has different side effects than another.
The first vaccine to be widely used in the US and many Western countries is the one made by Pfizer and the BioNTech of Germany. The second vaccine from the company Moderna is expected soon.
Both vaccines were made according to the same method. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said large studies of each did not detect any major safety risks.
Dr. Jesse Goodman, of the University of Georgetown, was previously a top vaccine officer at the FDA. He told the AP that the allergy concern “once again shows the importance of safety at the right time” monitoring. ”
Health officials have different ways of observing how people respond to COVID-19 vaccines. The AP said health officials would create more ways to monitor vaccine responses in the coming months as more people are vaccinated.
Flu-like side effects
Vaccination of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna may cause temporary discomfort. This happens with many vaccines.
In addition to pain in the arm, people may experience high body temperature and other flu-like symptoms. These include extreme fatigue, body aches, feeling cold and headaches. These symptoms last for about a day. But sometimes it can be serious and cause the person to miss work. Reports indicate that these symptoms are more common after the second admission and more common in younger people.
COVID-19 vaccines appear to cause more of these reactions than a flu shot. In some people, the reaction is similar to one who gets the vaccine for the infection called shingles.
Coronavirus-like side effect
However, some reactions are similar to early coronavirus symptoms. This is one of the reasons why hospitals do not give the vaccine to all their employees at the same time. They give the vaccines over a longer period of time to workers in smaller groups.
What about serious risks?
The FDA found no serious side effects in tens of thousands of people involved in the investigation into the two vaccines.
Sometimes, however, rare but serious side effects occur when a vaccine is used very widely. This also happens when the vaccine is not accurate and complete.
The CDC’s dr. Jay Butler warned that balancing potential risks with the advantages the vaccine provided in the pandemic is an ongoing process. ”
And this is the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.
Anna Matteo adapted this Associated Press story for VOA to learn English. Mario Ritter, Jr., was the editor.
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Words in this story
allergic –Adj., allergy -A. associated with a medical condition that causes a person to become ill after coming into contact with a substance that is harmful to most people
ingredient -A. one of the substances that make up a mixture
puffy –Adj. larger than normal, swollen
scratch –Adj. painful, larger or coarser than normal
monitor –V. to look over time, listen or look at a special purpose, such as health
discomfort -A. an uncomfortable or painful feeling in the body
symptom -A. a sign that a disease or problem is present
take advantage -A. good, useful or healthy results