“Appropriate medical treatment for severe allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event that an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine,” the site says. People who experience severe reactions shouldn’t get the recommended second dose of the vaccine, the agency said. The list recommends - but does not require - that sites stock the more intensive treatments, such as IV fluids. People who routinely carry EpiPens should remember to bring them when they are vaccinated, she added.Ī CDC website details a list of equipment and medications that sites should have on hand and urges that all patients be observed for 15 minutes after vaccination or 30 minutes if they’re at higher risk for reactions. “Ask the question: Do they have an anaphylaxis kit? Can they take vital signs?” she said. Kimberly Blumenthal, quality and safety officer for allergy at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before scheduling a vaccine, contact the site and ask pointed questions about its emergency precautions, said Dr. They suspect the culprit may be polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a component present in both vaccines that has been associated with allergic reactions.Įven as they call for education and support for providers, experts are urging the more than 50 million Americans with allergies - whether to foods, insect venom, medications or other vaccines - to be proactive about finding a venue that’s properly prepared. ![]() ![]() Scientists are still investigating what’s triggering the severe reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines. Community sites are unlikely to have these treatments on hand and would need quick access to emergency responders.Īnybody administering vaccines needs not just to have the EpiPen available, but, frankly, to know how to use it. However, severely affected patients can require intensive treatments including oxygen, IV antihistamines and steroids such as cortisone to save their lives. Initial treatment is an injection of epinephrine, or adrenalin, to reduce the body’s allergic response. Those health care workers must also know the warning signs of the need for advanced care, she added.Īnaphylaxis typically occurs within minutes and can cause hives, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or fainting, and life-threatening problems such as low blood pressure and constricted airways. She was referring to a common epinephrine injector that many people with severe allergies carry with them. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a call with reporters. “We are really pushing to make sure that anybody administering vaccines needs not just to have the EpiPen available but, frankly, to know how to use it,” said Dr. Health officials say every site involved in the wider community rollout must be able to recognize problems and have the training and equipment to respond swiftly if something goes wrong. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.Īs states look to scale up distribution, the shots will be administered by a varied assortment of professionals at venues including drugstores, dental offices and temporary sites attended by National Guard troops, among others. In this early phase of the vaccine rollout, all the patients were treated in hospitals and health centers that could offer immediate access to full-service emergency care. Still, the rate of anaphylaxis so far is about five times higher for the covid vaccines than for flu shots, and some of those stricken had no history of allergic reactions. For most people, the risk of getting the coronavirus is far higher than the risk of a vaccine reaction and is not a reason to avoid the shots, Grayson said. ![]() ![]() between mid-December and early January - and the patients recovered. Such incidents have been rare - about 5.5 cases for every million doses of vaccine administered in the U.S. who have received shots of the two new covid vaccines, at least 29 have suffered anaphylaxis, a severe and dangerous reaction that can constrict airways and send the body into shock, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the more than 6 million people in the U.S. “I hope they’re in a place where an ambulance can arrive within five to 10 minutes.” Mitchell Grayson, an allergist-immunologist with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “You want to be able to treat anaphylaxis,” said Dr.
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