Boston doctor experiences 'severe' reaction just minutes after receiving Moderna vaccine



A Boston physician experienced a "severe" reaction just minutes after being inoculated with Moderna's vaccine on Christmas Eve.

The New York Times reported that the reaction was the first of its kind to be linked to the Moderna vaccine, which was rolled out across the United States last week.

What are the details?

Dr. Hossein Sadrzadeh, a geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center, had a severe anaphylactic reaction immediately after receiving the Moderna shot. Dr. Sadrzadeh told the Times the allergic reaction was the same as those he experiences with shellfish.

More from the Times:

He said that within minutes of the vaccine injection at 3:30 p.m., his heart rate had spiked to 150 beats per minute, about twice its normal cadence; his tongue prickled and went numb. Before long, he was drenched in a cold sweat and found himself feeling dizzy and faint. His blood pressure also plummeted, he said. His immune system, he realized, was in revolt.

"It was the same anaphylactic reaction that I experience with shellfish," Dr. Sadrzadeh said. Dr. Sadrzadeh used his EpiPen and was taken on a stretcher to the emergency room, where he was given several medications, including steroids and Benadryl, to calm the immune reactions that had overtaken his body. A record of his visit stated that he had been "seen in the ER for shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations and numbness after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine."

"He was taken to the Emergency Department, evaluated, treated, observed and discharged. He is doing well today," David Kibbe, a spokesman for Boston Medical Center, said in a statement.

What is causing the reactions?

There have been numerous allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration said the week before Christmas that officials were investigating reactions that happened in several states with the Pfizer vaccine, which was rolled out one week prior to the Moderna vaccine.

Although experts still aren't certain what triggered the reactions, officials say the vaccines are safe.

Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on the vaccine for Americans with a history of severe allergic reactions.

"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," the new guidance read.

Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has identified polyethylene glycol as the potential "culprit" behind the reactions.

The ingredient is present in both Pfizer's vaccine and Moderna's vaccine.

As of Sunday, more than 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed across the U.S., and nearly 2 million Americans had been inoculated, according to CDC data.

CDC issues new guidance on COVID vaccine after numerous allergic reactions in multiple states



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued undated guidance on Saturday about the coronavirus vaccine after multiple allergic reactions happened in individuals who had just received the vaccine.

What is the CDC now saying?

The government agency now says that Americans who have a history of allergic reactions to any of the ingredients present in the vaccine should not be inoculated.

The guidance reads:

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.

However, the CDC said that people with a general history of allergies may still be vaccinated.

"CDC recommends that people with a history of severe allergic reactions not related to vaccines or injectable medications—such as allergies to food, pet, venom, environmental, or latex—may still get vaccinated. People with a history of allergies to oral medications or a family history of severe allergic reactions, or who might have an milder allergy to vaccines (no anaphylaxis)—may also still get vaccinated," the CDC explained. "If you have a severe allergic reaction after getting the first shot, you should not get the second shot."

The CDC further said that individuals with a history of "severe allergic reactions" will be monitored for 30 minutes after receiving the vaccine.

What is the background?

The development comes after the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating at least five allergic reactions to the vaccine across multiple states.

At least two of those reactions happened at the same hospital in Juneau, Alaska, requiring one person to be hospitalized.

Meanwhile, a hospital north of Chicago temporarily halted vaccine administration after four staff members had allergic reactions upon inoculation. That hospital will resume vaccine administration on Sunday.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a press conference that experts were not sure what had caused the allergic reactions, but identified polyethylene glycol as the potential "culprit."

The ingredient is present in both Pfizer's vaccine and Moderna's vaccine.

FDA now investigating after multiple allergic reactions to Pfizer COVID vaccine reported across US



The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday they are investigating after multiple allergic reactions were reported in people who had just received Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.

The new development comes just days after the Pfizer vaccine began to be administered nationwide.

What did the FDA say?

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a press conference that five allergic reactions occurred this week in more than one state.

The reactions were reportedly similar to those seen in the United Kingdom last week.

"We are working hand in hand with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we've actually been working closely with our United Kingdom colleagues, who of course reported the allergic reaction. I think we'll be looking at all the data we can from each of these reactions to sort out exactly what happened, and we'll also be looking to try to understand which component of the vaccine might be helping to produce them," Marks said, the Hill reported.

Marks explained that scientists were not certain what caused the allergic reactions, but pointed to polyethylene glycol as the possible "culprit." The ingredient is present in both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccine.

What's the background?

At least two of the reactions happened at the same hospital in Juneau, Alaska.

As the New York Times reported, the reactions happened within minutes of vaccine administration:

[The first worker] experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. Dr. Lindy Jones, the hospital's emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe allergic reactions. Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip. When doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said.
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The second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released.

Still, the FDA said the vaccine is safe for most Americans who have allergies, Reuters reported.

The agency only warned those Americans who have a history of severe allergic reactions, or a history of allergic reactions to ingredients present in either vaccine, from immediately receiving the vaccine.