(Reuters) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday that it is closely monitoring allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc and urges people who respond severely not to receive the second dose. .
In a conference with reporters, the U.S. Public Health Agency said allergic reactions occur at 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations. This compares with flu vaccines, in which such reactions occur at 1.3 per 1 million shots.
The serious reactions are still ‘extremely rare’, they said, stressing the need for people to be vaccinated if the shots are available, given the threat of death and serious coronavirus disease that has claimed more than 357,000 lives in the claimed land. United States only.
The CDC said it is closely monitoring allergic reaction incidents and plans to post weekly updates on its website.
The agency also insists that locals who deliver the vaccine should not only be prepared to recognize severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, but that they should be trained to treat them and know when individuals go to hospitals. should be referred for additional care.
CDC officials said 28 people who received the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech had severe allergic reactions. They also noted that one case of anaphylaxis, which can cause throat swelling and breathing problems, after an individual has received Moderna’s vaccination.
Officials attributed the difference mainly to the fact that the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was approved earlier than the Moderna shot, and said the precautions apply to both.
A study published Wednesday in the CDC’s weekly report on death and illness identified cases between December 14 and December 23, identifying 21 cases of anaphylaxis following the administration of 1,893,360 doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. . Of these, 71% occurred within the first 15 minutes after administration of the vaccine.
The UK medical regulator has said that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions to a medicine or food, should not receive the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
Reporting by Michael Erman in New York, Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, Manas Mishra and Dania Nadeem in Bengaluru; Edited by Bill Berkrot