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Serious allergic reactions after COVID-19 vaccines are likely more common than severe reactions after flu shots, but are still very rare, according to a new report.
The authors of the report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), analyzed data from the 1.9 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States from December 14 to December 23. For most of that time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was available in the United States.
Researchers have identified 21 cases of people who experienced anaphylaxis – a potentially fatal allergic reaction – shortly after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is a rate of about 11 cases of anaphylaxis per 1 million doses of vaccine administered. For comparison, the rate of anaphylaxis after the flu shot is 1.3 cases per million people, said Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, during of a press conference on Wednesday January 6.
Even though the rate of anaphylaxis from COVID-19 vaccines is about 10 times higher than what is seen with flu vaccines, “it is still extremely rare,” Messonnier said. Overall, the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks, she said.
Related: 7 strange signs of an allergic reaction
Of the 21 cases described in the report, 17 had a history of allergies or allergic reactions, including reactions to drugs, food and insect bites; and seven of these people had suffered from anaphylaxis in the past. Almost all of these patients were treated with epinephrine after their reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine, and all 21 have recovered.
Although the new report only included cases of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC is also aware of confirmed cases of anaphylaxis linked to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The exact cause of these reactions is unclear and “huge efforts” are underway to better understand the cause, Messonnier said. One potential culprit is polyethylene glycol, an ingredient in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Previously reported Live Science.
However, having allergies does not necessarily put you at a higher risk of reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. Allergies are common in the United States, but serious reactions to vaccines are not.
The CDC recommends that people with a history of vaccine reactions or anaphylaxis, regardless of the cause, be observed by healthcare workers for 30 minutes after receiving their COVID-19 injection. (In the report, patients experienced anaphylaxis on average about 13 minutes after their COVID-19 injection.)
The agency recommends that people not get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine if they have a known allergy to any ingredient in those vaccines, including polyethylene glycol; and people should not receive a second dose if they have a severe reaction to the first.
Originally posted on Live Science.
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