US Initiates Study Of Allergic Reactions To Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines - Health Agency

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday that it is conducting a study of the possible allergic reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2021) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Wednesday that it is conducting a study of the possible allergic reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines.

"A clinical trial is underway to determine whether people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder are at increased risk for an immediate, systemic allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines," the NIH said in a press release.

The researchers will also examine the biological mechanism behind the reactions and whether a genetic pattern or other factors can predict who are at most risk, the release said.

The NIH explained that researchers will look for a systemic allergic reaction in one or more parts of the body beyond the injection site within 90 minutes after administering either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

About two-thirds out of 3,400 participants will be female because severe allergic reactions to vaccines in general have occurred mainly in women, the release noted.

A mast cell disorder is a disease caused by a type of white blood cell called a mast cell that is abnormal, overly active, or both, predisposing a person to life-threatening reactions that look like allergic reactions.

The study results are expected to be published in late summer, according to the release.