A New York health care professional had a “significant” allergic reaction after receiving the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, city health officials said on Wednesday morning.
The health professional was treated and is in a stable state. To date, more than 30,000 vaccines have been administered in the city.
This is the first known adverse reaction reported in New York City. It was not immediately clear whether the worker had a history of significant allergic reactions.
“Vaccines have side effects and allergic reactions – although uncommon – are known to occur,” the New York Department of Health said in an email to reporters. “We also know that, based on clinical trials and reports of adverse effects in other jurisdictions, reactions like these are rare, but have been reported with the Pfizer vaccine.”
The Department of Health declined to provide further details at this time, including when the reaction occurred.
During a press conference at City Hall, Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, stressed that allergic reactions to the vaccine, also known as anaphylaxis, are considered rare.
“These vaccines are very safe in general,” he said.
Chokshi said those with a food or seasonal allergy should get the vaccine, while those with a significant history should see their doctor first.
Dr. Jay Varma, one of the city’s leading health consultants, said the public needs to keep these incidents in perspective.
A small risk of allergic reactions “needs to be weighed against the known risks of this infection”.
“I know which side I am on personally,” added Varma, saying that both he and his wife, who is a pediatrician, trust the vaccine’s safety.
About 200 New York City residents are being admitted to hospitals daily for the coronavirus. Since the pandemic began, more than 24,700 people in the five districts have died from the disease.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were authorized after showing high levels of efficacy and safety in large randomized studies. None of the trial participants had severe allergic reactions, but people with a history of anaphylaxis were excluded.
Dr. Denis Nash, professor of epidemiology at CUNY, said health officials need to collect more data and closely monitor patients receiving the vaccine.
“Ultimately, the goal will be to understand how rare or common it is and what things can predispose people to this type of outcome,” he said.
The National Health Institute is currently preparing a study to find out why people may have severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.
Last week, two health professionals in Alaska needed treatment for allergic reactions shortly after receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, marking the first known adverse reactions in the United States. One was admitted to the intensive care unit.
As of December 18, six people in the United States have been identified as having severe allergic reactions to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
More than half a million Americans received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
According to Science Magazine, anaphylactic reactions “can occur with any vaccine, but are generally extremely rare – about one in a million doses.”
Dr. Jessica Justman, associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia School of Public Health, said that, according to some published scientific articles, the rate of a serious allergic reaction after receiving a flu vaccine is about one to two in a million.
She said she believes that the latest cases of allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccine are already being studied closely by experts, but added that transparency and communication are “always important in public health situations and help to maintain public confidence” .
The guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention say that people who receive the vaccine should be kept under observation for at least 15 minutes.
The CDC also states that anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should not be vaccinated.