A patient at Decatur Morgan hospital had a severe allergic reaction to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday and is recovering, according to the state’s public health department.
“The patient was immediately treated with an anaphylaxis protocol at Decatur Morgan Hospital, where the vaccine was administered,” the department said in a press release on Wednesday.
The patient had a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions. They chose to get the vaccine with the knowledge that this problem occurred in several people with a similar history.
“Prior anaphylaxis for biological products is a precaution, not a contraindication, for the COVID-19 vaccine,” said the department.
The allergic reaction started several minutes after the vaccine was administered on Tuesday.
“Right now, the patient is stable and appears to be recovering,” said the department.
Serious allergic reactions to the vaccine are rare. Six people across the country were reported to have suffered anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. About 614,000 Americans have been vaccinated. In Alabama, 15,286 people, mostly frontline health professionals, received their first dose of the vaccine.
There have been no other reports of anaphylaxis in the state.