The FDA is investigating after multiple states reported allergic reactions to the Pfizer C.C. virus vaccine after it began nationwide vaccination this week.
Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said Friday night that multiple other states besides Alaska have reported allergic reactions in vaccinees, and the FDA is looking at five allergic reactions.
“We’re working closely with the CDC and we’ve actually been working closely with our colleagues in the U.K. who have also reported allergic reactions. We will be looking at all of the data from those reactions to understand exactly what happened, and we will also try to understand which components of the vaccine may produce allergic reactions.” Marks said.
Marks said the FDA is not sure what caused the allergic reactions, but noted that the presence of a chemical called polyethylene glycol in the vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech as well as Moderna “could be the culprit.”
“We will be monitoring very closely what is happening. We’re working closely with the CDC and have had meetings with the CDC almost every day this week to make sure we’re keeping close track of what’s going on.” He said.
A health care worker in Alaska was hospitalized Tuesday after suffering a severe allergic reaction to Pfizer’s C.C.V. vaccine. The employee had no history of drug allergies and it was not immediately clear if he or she had other types of allergies, a person familiar with the situation said.
This comes after two British health care workers suffered similar allergic reactions after receiving Pfizer vaccines last week, both of whom have now recovered. Both Britons have a history of severe allergies, Pfizer officials said.
The FDA’s current guidelines say most allergic Americans can get the New Crown vaccine, but people who have had severe allergic reactions to other vaccines should not get it. the FDA also said Friday that people with a history of severe allergies to any component of the Moderna vaccine should avoid the vaccine.
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