Credit ACIP/CDC
#15,689
Given the other events of note yesterday, it likely went unnoticed, but the CDC held a Media Telebriefing: Update on COVID-19 morning which focused on an MMWR paper (also published yesterday) on the relatively small number allergic and anaphylactic reactions to the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine, which was rolled out last month.
The Transcript, and audio file, are available at the following link:
Transcript: CDC Update on COVID-19
Press Briefing Transcript
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors.
The MMWR report (excerpts below) is both lengthy and highly detailed, so I've only posted the summary. Follow the link to read it in its entirety.
Early Release / January 6, 2021 / 70CDC COVID-19 Response Team; Food and Drug AdministrationSummaryWhat is already known about this topic?Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs rarely after vaccination.What is added by this report?During December 14–23, 2020, monitoring by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System detected 21 cases of anaphylaxis after administration of a reported 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (11.1 cases per million doses); 71% of these occurred within 15 minutes of vaccination.What are the implications for public health practice?Locations administering COVID-19 vaccines should adhere to CDC guidance for use of COVID-19 vaccines, including screening recipients for contraindications and precautions, having the necessary supplies available to manage anaphylaxis, implementing the recommended post vaccination observation periods, and immediately treating suspected cases of anaphylaxis with intramuscular injection of epinephrine.
