Moderna vaccine batch that caused 10 allergic reactions cleared for use
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 23, 2021
SACRAMENTO - California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan issued the following statement today advising providers that they can immediately resume the administration of lot 41L20A of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which was temporarily paused on Sunday due to possible allergic reactions.
The Oregon Health Authority is recommending use of almost 27,000 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine despite reports in Oregon and California of a small number of adverse reactions among people inoculated from the same batch of the vaccine.
Moderna stock surged 9% Thursday after California reauthorized a batch of the company's vaccine following an allergy scare.
Moderna COVID-19 vaccines - as well as doses developed by rival Pfizer-BioNTech - must be stored at very low temperatures, between negative 13 and negative 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moderna has said it is unaware of comparable adverse cases from other vaccination centres which may have administered vaccines from the same batch as the one in the San Diego centre, or from other batches.
The company is "fully cooperating" with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in investigating these reported adverse events, Moderna said on Tuesday.
The Moderna batch in question consists of roughly one million doses.
OR has received 57,400 doses from that batch across 118 locations, according to state officials.
Administration of the vaccine has also resumed in El Dorado County according to county spokesperson Carla Hass, although there were never any reports of county residents who received the vaccine having any adverse reactions. "The Western States Scientific Safety Review Committee will continue to monitor further reports and will consider any additional guidance states receive from the federal government". No other allergic reactions were reported, the CDPH said. "Adverse reactions to vaccines are extremely rare, but we're paying close attention when they do occur".
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer for OR said he continues to encourage every eligible Oregonian to get a vaccine as soon as it is available to them.
