A Boston physician had a severe allergic reaction after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna, The New York Times reported.
Hossein Sadrzadeh, MD, geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center, had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, the first linked to Moderna's vaccine. Federal agencies are investigating at least six cases of severe allergic reactions linked to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which contains similar ingredients, the Times reported.
Dr. Sadrzadeh, who has a severe shellfish allergy, was treated in the hospital's emergency department and has since recovered.
A Moderna spokesperson told the Times the company's medical safety team would look into the reaction. A CDC spokesperson told the Times that information on allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines would be posted to the agency's website starting this week.
Scientists have suggested that the allergic reactions may be linked to polyethylene glycol, or PEG, which is in both Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines. The substance is found in common pharmaceutical products, such as ultrasound gel and injectable steroids, and it can cause allergic reactions, though very rarely, the Times reported.
"Although I think we’re just speculating here…it is known that one of the components that is present in both of the vaccines—polyethylene glycol—can be associated, uncommonly, with allergic reactions," Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a Dec. 18 press conference, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Severe allergic reactions to the vaccines are still rare and shouldn't cause concern for most people, Merin Kuruvilla, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Emory University, told the Times.
"This should not deter people who are not obviously at increased risk," Dr. Kuruvilla said.