US Disease Control chief says severe allergic reactions to Moderna, Pfizer vaccines are rare but treatable

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Published Jan 27, 2021

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WASHINGTON - Severe allergic reactions to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are both rare and treatable, US Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday.

"Based on our most recent data, we found that there were 2.1 cases of anaphylaxis per million administered doses of Moderna and 6.2 cases of anaphylaxis per million doses administered of Pfizer. Let me be clear: these are rare treatable outcomes and the Covid-19 vaccines are safe," Walensky said during a press briefing.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur after vaccination. Onset usually takes place within minutes or hours after taking the vaccine, the CDC said.

Walensky added that the risk of severe illness far outweighs the possibility of developing post-immunization complications.

Experts say that Covid-19 vaccination campaigns must continue despite instances of adverse reactions and reported deaths. Ancha Baranova, a professor at George Mason University's School of Systems Biology, told Sputnik last week the incidence of side effects is no greater than that of any other vaccine. Baranova said the vaccine "protects your life more than it threatens it."

Several countries, including the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands, have recently reported post-vaccination side effects among those vaccinated against the virus, while Norway is investigating 23 deaths that occurred shortly after people got the vaccine.

Sputnik

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Covid-19Vaccine