2 Idaho health care workers recovering after allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccine
Two health care workers in Idaho had severe allergic reactions shortly after receiving the coronavirus vaccine, according to a news release from the state Department of Health and Welfare.
The two severe allergic reactions occurred after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. One person has since recovered fully, while the other was in stable condition Tuesday at a hospital and expected to be discharged.
Both of the people had a history of severe reactions to injectable medications, but not to vaccines, according to Health and Welfare.
One of the allergic reactions occurred five minutes after the shot, and the other was 20 minutes after the shot, Health and Welfare said. They were within the 30-minute post-vaccine observation period for people with a history of severe reactions.
Health officials are investigating both incidents, which occurred in northern Idaho and in the Treasure Valley, Health and Welfare said in a news release.
There had been 5,665 doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered in Idaho as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
“The CDC considers a history of severe allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis to any vaccine or to any injectable therapy as a precaution, but not contraindication, to vaccination,” said Dr. Christine Hahn, medical director for the Division of Public Health, in the news release. “In light of these events, we are concerned about the risk to people with such a history and recommend that anyone with a history of severe reaction or anaphylaxis to any vaccine or injectable therapy defer taking this vaccine until more is known.”
The CDC guidance isn’t as broad as that. The CDC recommends that people who have reacted to any of the vaccine’s ingredients do not get the vaccine. For people with a history of severe reactions to any vaccine or injectable medication, the CDC recommends getting advice from a health care provider.
The CDC said, as of Tuesday: “If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, CDC recommends that you should not get that specific vaccine. If you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies, you should ask your doctor if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your doctor will help you decide if it is safe for you to get vaccinated.”
Hahn, who is Idaho’s chief epidemiologist, told the Statesman in an email Tuesday that her guidance “is indeed more stringent/restrictive than CDC’s. I spoke with my colleagues at CDC about this, and they are supportive of how we are responding to our local situation.”
There have been other allergic reactions reported around the country and globe in the days since the first FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine rolled out. Medical experts say the vaccine’s benefits still far outweigh its risks.
Clinical trial data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine show there is very little risk to the majority of people who have received the vaccine. IDHW noted that there can be side effects to the vaccine because the shot stimulates the body’s immune system.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into cases of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine, including whether an ingredient in the shot may be the culprit.
The most common side effects of the vaccine consist of fever, fatigue, headache and soreness at the injection site.
Local, state and federal health agencies are keeping track of these sorts of incidents, referred to as adverse events, related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 2:26 PM.
