TEXAS – Dozens of Texans have reported serious reactions after receiving the first dose of one of the COVID-19 vaccines.
A new report from the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details some severe reactions, with new safety recommendations for delivering the shots.
Dr. Crystal Howell, an infectious disease pharmacist at UNT Health Science Center said the 21 serious allergic reaction cases the CDC has found, is largely in-line with what trials showed. Many of the other reactions that have happened were, according to Howell, “What’s called vasovaegal, or anxiety related reactions to vaccines, which are very normal.”
After the first 10 days of COVID-19 vaccines, nearly two million doses, just .2% of people nationwide reported side effects. But there were some, serious enough to send people to the hospital for help.
Reports CBS 11 News looked through, just from Texas, include one 35-year-old woman saying… “I woke up with severe chest pain like something was crushing me.”
Another 29-year-old woman talked about her experience saying, “A rash appeared at site of injection, very painful, hot to touch, hard, with rash spreading to torso.”
Yet another woman, who’s pregnant, said that two days after receiving the vaccine, she went into early labor.
“I delivered my baby at 33 weeks.”
Dr. Howell also said, “The vast majority of the reactions that happened, occurred within the first 30 minutes of receiving the vaccine.”
She expects that to hold and pointed out that people who had bad reactions, had a history of allergies, to a variety of things… eggs, walnuts, tropical fruits, cats.
And most, were women.
For now, the CDC has updated its advice to vaccine locations, to make sure to observe people after they receive their shot, and be ready to treat people immediately if something goes wrong.
