‘Stay informed’: Duke doctor with history of severe allergies receives COVID-19 vaccine

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) – A Duke doctor with a history of severe allergies who recently received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is encouraging people like her to research and talk to their doctor about vaccination.

Dr. Leonor Corsino, endocrinologist and Assoc. The Duke medical professor told ABC11 that she did her research before deciding to get vaccinated and found that the benefits outweighed the risks.

“There are many reasons for that,” she said. “One is obviously because I wanted to be vaccinated to protect myself and my patients.”

Many of the patients that Corsino treats weekly have diabetes and are at greater risk of serious illness if they contract the virus.

“Secondly, I believe in vaccination,” said Corsino. “I have always received all my vaccines in the past. I trust science, as an investigator.”

According to the CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Notification System, there have been seven reports of allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine and one to the Modern vaccine in the USA

The CDC recently updated its guidance, according to:

• People allergic to any ingredient in a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, including PEG or polysorbate, should not take any of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines.
• If you had a severe allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, you should not receive the second dose.
• If you had an immediate allergic reaction, even if it was not severe, to any ingredient in a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, you should not take any of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines currently available.

In 2012, Corsino ended up in Duke’s ER, not knowing what triggered the anaphylactic reaction that has now led her to always carry an Epipen.

When she was chosen to receive the Pfizer vaccine during the first days of its launch at Duke, she refused.

“However, after seeing that more than 2 million health professionals have received the vaccine in the past few weeks, and looking at the number of cases that have been reported, I feel more comfortable,” she said.

Then, after doing his research, Corsino received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on December 28.

“Actually, I didn’t have a lot of worries, no pain in my arm, which I know some people have reported,” she said. “I had a little red in my ears and a little tiredness the next day. But afterwards, I have been feeling perfectly fine.”
As a member of Duke’s Latin-19, a defense team formed during the pandemic to reach out and help the Latino population during the process, Corsino said that was another important reason for her to make an informed decision to get vaccinated.

“My goal as a Latino and also as an immigrant is to really educate my community so that they feel comfortable following the recommendations, so that we don’t continue to lose valuable lives because of this pandemic that is affecting them disproportionately,” she said.

For now, Corsino said he is encouraging others to do what she did.

“Read about it,” she said. “Find out. Take the time to make the decision.”

She is now looking forward to scheduling her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I’m not worried,” she said. “I have my Epipen. We know that anaphylaxis is something we can treat. And in that regard, I feel confident to receive my second dose.”