Over 1,200 adverse events in US after receiving Moderna vaccine

Over 1,200 adverse events were reported after receipt of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as of January 10, with 10 cases determined to be anaphylaxis, according to a report released by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on December 18, 2020, administered as 2 doses, 1 month apart to prevent Covid-19, the Xinhua news agency reported.

As of January 10, a reported 40,41,396 first doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine had been administered in the US, and reports of 1,266 adverse events after receipt of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine were submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, according to the CDC.

Among these, 108 case reports were identified for further review as possible cases of severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs rarely after vaccination, with onset typically within minutes to hours.

Among these case reports, 10 cases were determined to be anaphylaxis, a rate of 2.5 anaphylaxis cases per million Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses administered, said the CDC.

The median interval from vaccine receipt to symptom onset was 7.5 minutes.

The CDC urged locations administering Covid-19 vaccines to adhere to CDC guidance, including screening recipients for contraindications and precautions, having necessary supplies and staff members available to manage anaphylaxis, implementing recommended post-vaccination observation periods, and immediately treating suspected anaphylaxis with intramuscular epinephrine injection.