By Adriana Barrera
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A Mexican doctor who had a severe allergic reaction after receiving Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s vaccine against COVID-19 is still being admitted to hospital and has not yet regained muscle strength, the health authorities said Wednesday.
The 32-year-old internist, who received the vaccine on December 30, had several seizures in the following days and is being treated in a specialized hospital that is part of the IMSS Social Security Institute in Mexico.
The initial diagnosis from the Ministry of Health after the reaction was encephalomyelitis. Encephalomyelitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The ministry said the doctor had a history of allergic reactions.
Victor Hugo Borja, a director of the IMSS, said that the doctor had so far responded favorably to the treatment, that he had had no new attacks, and that he had restored the muscle strength that had been lost.
“Today she was able to sit up straight and it is possible that she will be fired in the next few days,” Borja said at a news conference.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that it is closely monitoring allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. and urges individuals who respond severely not to receive the second dose.
A study published Wednesday in the CDC’s weekly report on death and illness looked at cases between December 14 and December 23, 21 cases of anaphylaxis identified after the administration of 1,893,360 doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
Doctors are still investigating whether the doctor’s attacks and the reduced muscle strength are related to the vaccine against COVID-19 or previous conditions. The ministry said there was no evidence from clinical trials that anyone had developed an inflammation in the brain after administering the vaccine.
Pfizer said he was aware that the health ministry had studied the case and promised to continue cooperating “with any information we requested.”
Mexico began its COVID-19 vaccination plan before Christmas, giving preference to front-line workers.
(Posted by Adriana Barrera; Written by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Edited by Frank Jack Daniel and Sonya Hepinstall)