LOS ANGELES (CBS / AP) – The California state epidemiologist is calling for the suspension of more than 300,000 coronavirus vaccinations using a version of the Modern vaccine because some people have received medical treatment for possible serious allergic reactions.
Dr. Erica S. Pan recommended on Sunday that providers stop using the 41L20A lot of Moderna vaccine pending the completion of an investigation by state officials, Moderna, the US Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration federal.
“Out of extreme caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use another available vaccine stock,” said Pan in a statement.
She said more than 330,000 doses of the batch arrived in California between January 5 and 12 and were distributed to 287 providers.
Less than 10 people, who received the vaccine at the same location in the community, needed medical attention for a 24-hour period, Pan said. No other similar group was found.
Pan did not specify the number of cases involved or where they occurred.
However, six health professionals in San Diego had allergic reactions to vaccines they received at a mass vaccination center on January 14. The site has been temporarily closed and is now using other vaccines, KTGV-TV reported.
Modern in a statement said the Cambridge-based biotechnology company “is not aware of comparable adverse events from other vaccination centers that may have administered vaccines from the same batch.”
The CDC said that COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects for a few days, which include fever, chills, headache, swelling or tiredness, “which are normal signs that your body is building protection.”
However, serious reactions are extremely rare. Pan said in a vaccine similar to Moderna, the rate of anaphylaxis – in which an immune system reaction can block breathing and drop blood pressure – was about 1 in 100,000.
Moderna’s vaccine received FDA approval for emergency use in December. A panel of FDA advisers, in a 20-0 vote, determined that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for those over 18. He has shipped more than 200,000 doses to Massachusetts.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)