2 Health Workers in Alaska Got Adverse Reaction After Receiving Pfizer’s Vaccine

In Juneau, Alaska, two (2) health workers at the Bartlett Regional Hospital have reportedly developed adverse reactions minutes after receiving Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech’s COVID vaccine.

According to the report published by The New York Times, the first worker had an anaphylactic reaction, rash, and has experience shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. The second worker, on the other hand, developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness, and a scratchy throat.

The First Staff Member to Have Adverse Allergic Reaction

The first worker, according to The New York Times, is a middle-aged woman.

“A health care worker in Juneau who has no history of allergies had an anaphylactic reaction that included flushing and shortness of breath 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at a clinic at Bartlett Hospital. The symptoms were discovered during the 15-minute observation period recommended by the CDC,” stated the press release published by the Department of Health and Social Services of the State of Alaska.

“She was given epinephrine and Benadryl, admitted to the hospital, and put on an intravenous epinephrine drip,” Katie Bausler, the Community Relations Director of the Bartlett Regional Hospital disclosed today (Thursday), December 17, 2020.

“Her reaction was serious but not life-threatening,” said Emergency Department Medical Director Lindy Jones, MD. The staff member is recovering and will remain another night in the hospital under observation.

The Second Staff Member to Have Adverse Allergic Reaction

“A second staff member experienced eye puffiness, lightheadedness, and scratchy throat ten minutes after being injected with the vaccine today,” reported the Community Relations Director of the Bartlett Regional Hospital. However, the hospital said that his reaction was not considered anaphylaxis.

The hospital also disclosed that a staff member was taken to the Emergency Department and administered epinephrine, Pepcid, and Benadryl. But unlike the first staff who will meanwhile remain in the hospital, the second staff member felt completely back to normal within an hour and was even already released.

Incidents Reported to CDC

The abovementioned incidents were already reported to CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database, according to the Bartlett Regional Hospital.

“We expected that a side effect like this could occur after reports of anaphylaxis were made in England after people there received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. All sites that are approved to provide vaccinations in Alaska must have medications on hand to deal with an allergic reaction and that was the case in Juneau.”

– Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink via the Department of Health and Social Services

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Source: Reuters, The New York Times, Bartlett Regional Hospital| Facebook, State of Alaska