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NEW YORK – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating about five allergic reactions that occurred after people received the Pfizer Inc vaccine and the BioIDech SE CONTID-19 vaccine in the United States this week, he said. FDA chief executive late Friday.
Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biological Assessment and Research, said at a press conference that the allergic reactions have been reported in more than one state, including in Alaska.
Marks also said a chemical called polyethylene glycol (PEG) contained in the Pfizer vaccine – as well as the Moderna Inc vaccine authorized on Friday – could “cause a culture” causing the reactions.
Marks said an allergic reaction to PEG may be slightly more common than previously understood.
The situation in Alaska was similar to two cases reported last week in Britain.
The British medical regulator has said that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine should not be given to anyone with a history of anaphylaxis, or a severe allergic reaction to a drug or food.