Boston Doctor Reports Serious Allergic Reaction After Getting Moderna’s Covid Vaccine.
The patient, who has a severe shellfish allergy, recovered quickly with treatment. Until now, reports of severe reactions had been linked to the Pfizer vaccine.
A Boston physician said he developed a severe allergic reaction minutes after receiving Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, in the first week of the nationwide rollout for the company’s shots.
The case was the first of its kind reported to be linked to Moderna’s vaccine. Federal agencies are investigating at least six cases involving people who suffered anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which contains similar ingredients, during the first few weeks of its distribution in the United States.
Officials with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had discussed the reactions involving some of the Pfizer cases, but have not determined whether an ingredient in the vaccine caused the allergic responses. A few health care workers in Britain had also experienced anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer vaccine earlier this month.
Boston Doctor Reports Serious Allergic Reaction After Getting Moderna’s Covid Vaccine
The incident on Thursday involved Dr. Hossein Sadrzadeh, a geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center, who has a severe shellfish allergy and had an appointment to get the Moderna shot in the afternoon. In an interview, Dr. Sadrzadeh said he experienced a severe reaction almost immediately after he was inoculated, feeling dizzy and with his heart racing.
In a statement, David Kibbe, a spokesman for Boston Medical Center, confirmed that Dr. Sadrzadeh had received Moderna’s vaccine on Thursday. The statement said that Dr. Sadrzadeh “felt he was developing an allergic reaction and was allowed to self-administer his personal EpiPen. He was taken to the Emergency Department, evaluated, treated, observed and discharged. He is doing well today.”
Ray Jordan, a spokesman for Moderna, said on Thursday evening that the company could not comment publicly on an individual case. On Friday, Mr. Jordan added that the company’s medical safety team would look into the matter, and he referred further questions to officials at Operation Warp Speed, the federal program overseeing vaccine distribution.
The F.D.A. would not comment on the new report on Friday.
Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the C.D.C., said that information on reactions to the new vaccines would be posted to the agency’s website starting next week. Belsie González, a spokeswoman for the C.D.C., referred further questions to local public health authorities.