US sees allergic reactions to COVID vaccines

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday it is carefully monitoring allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and urged individuals who had a serious reaction not to get the second dose.

In a conference call with reporters, the US public health agency said allergic reactions are occurring at a rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations. That compared with flu vaccines, in which such reactions occur at a rate of 1.3 per 1 million shots.

The severe reactions are still “exceedingly rare,” they said, stressing the need for people to get vaccinated when the shots become available to them, given the threat of death and serious disease from the coronavirus that has already claimed more than 357,000 lives in the United States alone.

The CDC said it is monitoring allergic reaction incidents closely and plans to post weekly updates on its website.

The agency is also urging venues that deliver the vaccine be prepared not only to recognize serious allergic reactions, but be trained on how to treat them and recognize when individuals need to be referred to hospitals 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 one case of anaphylaxis, which can cause throat swelling and breathing difficulty, after an individual received Moderna’s vaccine.