Third Alaska healthcare worker suffers adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccine

A Fairbanks healthcare worker was treated for a “likely” severe allergic reaction Thursday after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Health Partners Foundation care system.

Everyone who has experienced the reactions is doing well. None are hospitalized yet and the three workers recommended that others continue to receive the immunizations – which should be one of the most important tools to end the pandemic, officials said.

The Fairbanks worker began showing what hospital officials described as “traditional anaphylactic symptoms,” including swelling of the tongue, a hoarse voice and difficulty breathing, about 10 minutes after being vaccinated, a Foundation Health Partners spokesperson Kelly Atlee wrote in a statement sent Friday morning.

She was taken to the emergency department at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and treated with epinephrine before being discharged six hours later. The worker has no history of allergies, but had a reaction to a bee sting that was not confirmed as an allergic reaction, Atlee said. Thursday was the first anaphylactic event the worker experienced.

The vaccine was safely administered to thousands of Americans across the country this week. Health officials have pointed out that allergic reactions are rare.

The vaccine, developed by drug makers Pfizer and BioNTech, has shown no serious allergic reactions in clinical trials, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people with a history of severe allergic reactions discuss the vaccination with their doctor.

“Allergic reactions, although rare, can occur with injections of drugs and vaccines,” Health Partners Foundation chief medical officer Dr. Angelique Ramirez said in a prepared statement. “That’s why our staff are trained and prepared to respond to any symptoms of anaphylaxis. Our employee is fine and was able to return home yesterday.

Despite her reaction, the employee, to whom officials wrote in the statement prefers to preserve her privacy, still recommends that people get the vaccine.

“I would get the vaccine and recommend it to anyone, despite my reaction, to help our country get vaccinated, which is necessary for the health of all Americans, for the economy, for families to be vaccinated. ‘hugging again, to get the kids back to school and to put the country on the other side of this pandemic, ”she wrote. “I have seen first-hand the suffering and death of COVID patients, and my adverse reaction to the vaccine is petty compared to what COVID infection can do to people.”

Foundation Health Partners, which runs the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Tanana Valley Clinic, and Denali Center, is working with the Alaska Department of Health and CDC to provide details of the woman’s reaction.

In an emailed statement, a representative for Pfizer wrote that the company does not have full details regarding allergic reactions in Alaska. The company said it was monitoring reports of these reactions and would update the labeling wording if necessary, the statement said.

“The prescribing information contains a clear warning / precaution that appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be readily available in the event of a rare anaphylactic event following administration of the vaccine,” company officials said in the statement. .

The company said it had not identified any safety signals of concern in its clinical trial process, but would continue to monitor reports of adverse reactions.

“Reports of adverse events outside of clinical studies are a very important part of our pharmacovigilance activities and we will review all available information on this case and all reports of adverse events after vaccination,” the statement said.