THD NewsDesk, New Delhi: The current recommendation made by CDC says that people who have a severe allergic reaction to either of the two-shot vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) should not undergo the second shot. It rather added that J&J’s one-shot vaccine could give protection against Covid-19.
As a substitute for a second jab of Pfizer’s or Moderna’s shots, Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine can be used which offers high protection against those who were found allergic to the first round of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, as stated by the scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday
Jessica MacNeil, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases further added that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines use the mRNA technology and to achieve full protection, they require two shots to the patient. However, those who suffer an allergic reaction to either should wait at least 28 days before getting the J&J one-dose vaccine, she said.
Therefore, after several research, the CDC recommends that people who have a severe allergic reaction to one of the shots should forgo the second shot. And rather get the J&J’s one-shot vaccine to receive ways to maximize protection against Covid-19.
Among those who received Pfizer’s vaccine, 47 reports of anaphylaxis and a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction was detected. While as of January 18, 19 cases in those who received Moderna was recorded to be allergic, according to data presented Monday by Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, deputy director of the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office.
Shimabukuro said “Most of the reactions happen shortly after the first shot. The rate is like, of about 4.7 cases for every million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that’s been administered and 2.5 per every million of the Moderna shot”
The CDC’s MacNeil noted that since the vaccines “are not interchangeable” and that the safety and efficacy of taking one shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine against one of the J&J vaccine has not been tested yet”. She further added that those taking J&J’s jab should do so under the supervision of a health-care provider. However, a couple of members of the committee, the expert panel that advises the CDC on immunizations, questioned the CDC’s reasoning.
Some of the ingredients of J&J’s vaccine are similar to that of the Moderna and Pfizer shots as noted by Dr. Marci Drees, a liaison to the committee and the chief infection prevention officer at Christiana Care in Delaware.
If the patient is monitored for at least 30 minutes after receiving the shot, the mRNA vaccines, which would necessitate “precaution” when receiving the J&J vaccine, could be done safely.
Although there have been fewer reported cases of allergic reactions to the J&J vaccine compared with that of Moderna and Pfizer, but in clinical trials, J&J acknowledged last week that there were two cases of anaphylaxis among participants in the trial.
