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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa090)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html","crawl_time":1772542439,"first_indexed_time":1608139697,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Health Care Worker Had Serious Allergic Reaction After Pfizer's Covid Vaccine - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["One of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nOne of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain.\nVaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered.\nCredit...\nTim Gruber for The New York Times\nPublished Dec. 16, 2020\nUpdated Dec. 22, 2020\nTwo health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving\nPfizer’s coronavirus vaccine\nthis week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday.\nHealth officials said that the cases would not disrupt their\nvaccine rollout\nplans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency.\nThe first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate.\nDr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe\nallergic reactions\n. Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip.\nWhen doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said.\nDr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night.\nThe second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released.\nThe hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine.\n“We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.\nAlthough the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions.\nDr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated.\n“I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.”\nDr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions.\nMillions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.”\nThe Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered.\nThose cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.\nAlthough the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids.\nDr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed.\nPfizer’s trial\ndid not find any serious adverse events\ncaused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot.\nA Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said.\nAfter the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later\nclarified their concerns,\nchanging the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said.\nPfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction.\nPfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients.\nThe British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it.\nIn the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines.\nBut because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot.\nAnaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic.\nCarl Zimmer contributed reporting.\nNoah Weiland\nis a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago.\nSharon LaFraniere\nis an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia.\nMike Baker\nis the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska.\nKatie Thomas\ncovers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter.\nA version of this article appears in print on\nDec. 17, 2020\n, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine\n.\nOrder Reprints\n|\nToday’s Paper\n|\nSubscribe\nRelated Content\nThe Covid-19 Pandemic\nEric Lee\/The New York Times\nTierney L. Cross\/The New York Times\nAndrea Verdelli for The New York Times\nMore in Health\nKholood Eid for The New York Times\nLucy Lu for The New York Times\nWarrick Page\/HBO Max\nFederica Bordoni\nEditors’ Picks\nChristopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.\nAlexandre Juillet\/Chamonix-Mont Blanc\nTrending in The Times\nIllustration by Richard a Chance\nPhoto Illustration by Ioulex for The New York Times\nJanet Mac\nLauren Petracca for The New York Times\nNoah Kalina for The New York Times\nJason Schmidt\nKent Edwards\/Reuters\nAleksey Kondratyev for The New York Times\nNational Portrait Gallery, London\nScott McIntyre for The New York Times\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#site-index)\n\nSearch & Section Navigation\n\nSection Navigation\n\nSearch\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2020%252F12%252F16%252Fhealth%252Fcovid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html&asset=masthead)\n\nTuesday, March 3, 2026\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\nU.S. Health Policy\n\n- [Vaccine Schedule Lawsuit](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/24\/health\/vaccine-schedule-california-lawsuit.html)\n- [Moderna Flu Vaccine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/health\/fda-moderna-flu-vaccine-mrna.html)\n- [Covid Shots](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/06\/health\/vaccines-covid-acip-malone-kennedy.html)\n- [‘Naturally Derived’ Dyes](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/05\/us\/politics\/kennedy-fda-food-dyes-protein.html)\n- [Approach to Immunization](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/01\/11\/health\/kennedy-vaccines-children.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-sponsor)\n# 2 Alaska Health Workers Got Emergency Treatment After Receiving Pfizer’s Vaccine\nOne of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain.\n\n- Share full article\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2020\/12\/16\/science\/16VIRUS-PFIZER\/merlin_181252629_02424de9-9b12-448b-9a48-437e3507ee3d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nVaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York Times\n\nBy [Noah Weiland](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/noah-weiland)[Sharon LaFraniere](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/sharon-lafraniere)[Mike Baker](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/mike-baker) and [Katie Thomas](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/katie-thomas)\n\nPublished Dec. 16, 2020Updated Dec. 22, 2020\n\nTwo health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving [Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/22\/us\/pfizer-vaccine-doses.html) this week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday.\n\nHealth officials said that the cases would not disrupt their [vaccine rollout](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/21\/world\/europe\/eu-coronavirus-vaccine.html) plans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency.\n\nThe first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate.\n\nDr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe [allergic reactions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/18\/health\/covid-vaccine-allergies.html). Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip.\n\nWhen doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said.\n\nDr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night.\n\nThe second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released.\n\nThe hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine.\n\n“We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.\n\n## Editors’ Picks\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/t-magazine\/travel\/18tmag-kids-resorts-slide-2BYG\/18tmag-kids-resorts-slide-2BYG-thumbLarge.jpg)Resorts That Are Family Friendly and Actually Cool](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/28\/t-magazine\/resorts-that-are-family-friendly-and-actually-cool.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/28\/magazine\/28mag-ethicist\/28mag-ethicist-thumbLarge.jpg)My Aging Mother Won’t Stop Driving. Should I Take Away Her Keys?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/28\/magazine\/aging-mother-driving-ethics.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02INDUSTRY-CHAT-01-czjw\/02INDUSTRY-CHAT-01-czjw-thumbLarge.jpg)Among the Elites, Who Decides What Exploitation Looks Like?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/style\/industry-season-finale-chat-elites.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-pp_edpick)\n\nAlthough the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions.\n\nDr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated.\n\n“I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.”\n\nDr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions.\n\nMillions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.”\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2020\/12\/05\/us\/how-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-works-promo-1607191271139\/how-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-works-promo-1607191271139-articleLarge-v10.png)How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works Two shots can prime the immune system to fight the coronavirus.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2020\/health\/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html)\n\nThe Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered.\n\nThose cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.\n\nAlthough the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids.\n\nDr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed.\n\nPfizer’s trial [did not find any serious adverse events](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/08\/health\/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html) caused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot.\n\nA Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said.\n\nAfter the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later [clarified their concerns,](https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/confirmation-of-guidance-to-vaccination-centres-on-managing-allergic-reactions-following-covid-19-vaccination-with-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine) changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said.\n\nPfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction.\n\nPfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients.\n\nThe British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it.\n\nIn the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines.\n\nBut because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot.\n\nAnaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic.\n\nCarl Zimmer contributed reporting.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine\n\n[![]()The U.K. says people with severe allergies should not take the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while two reactions are under investigation. Dec. 9, 2020](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/09\/world\/the-uk-says-people-with-severe-allergies-should-not-take-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-while-two-reactions-are-under-investigation.html)\n\n[![]()F.D.A. Clears Pfizer Vaccine, and Millions of Doses Will Be Shipped Right Away Dec. 11, 2020](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/11\/health\/pfizer-vaccine-authorized.html)\n\n[![]()Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine and Allergies: How Concerned Should You Be? Dec. 11, 2020](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/11\/health\/Covid-Pfizer-vaccine-allergies.html)\n\n[Noah Weiland](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/noah-weiland) is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago.\n\n[Sharon LaFraniere](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/sharon-lafraniere) is an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia.\n\n[Mike Baker](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/mike-baker) is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska.\n\n[Katie Thomas](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/katie-thomas) covers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2020, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\nSee more on: [Pfizer Inc.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/topic\/company\/pfizer-inc)\n\n- Share full article\n\n## Related Content\n### [The Covid-19 Pandemic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/news-event\/coronavirus)\n- [C.D.C.’s New Acting Director Draws Unexpected Praise From Agency Staff](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/health\/cdc-bhattacharya-vaccinations-measles.html)\n  \n  ![Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, is also serving as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/26hs-cdc\/26hs-cdc-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Eric Lee\/The New York Times\n- [Trump Administration Tells States It Aims to ‘Reimagine’ Jobless Benefits](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/24\/us\/politics\/trump-unemployment-benefits-fraud.html)\n  \n  ![President Trump’s efforts to make broad changes to unemployment insurance have raised concerns among groups that support the aid.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/24\/multimedia\/24dc-trump-jobs-01-clhb\/24dc-trump-jobs-01-clhb-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Tierney L. 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[Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=37WXW)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Advertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-top)\n\nOne of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2020\/12\/16\/science\/16VIRUS-PFIZER\/merlin_181252629_02424de9-9b12-448b-9a48-437e3507ee3d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nVaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York Times\n\nPublished Dec. 16, 2020Updated Dec. 22, 2020\n\nTwo health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving [Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/22\/us\/pfizer-vaccine-doses.html) this week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday.\n\nHealth officials said that the cases would not disrupt their [vaccine rollout](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/21\/world\/europe\/eu-coronavirus-vaccine.html) plans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency.\n\nThe first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate.\n\nDr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe [allergic reactions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/18\/health\/covid-vaccine-allergies.html). Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip.\n\nWhen doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said.\n\nDr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night.\n\nThe second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released.\n\nThe hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine.\n\n“We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.\n\nAlthough the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions.\n\nDr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated.\n\n“I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.”\n\nDr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions.\n\nMillions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.”\n\nThe Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered.\n\nThose cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.\n\nAlthough the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids.\n\nDr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed.\n\nPfizer’s trial [did not find any serious adverse events](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/08\/health\/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html) caused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot.\n\nA Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said.\n\nAfter the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later [clarified their concerns,](https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/confirmation-of-guidance-to-vaccination-centres-on-managing-allergic-reactions-following-covid-19-vaccination-with-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine) changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said.\n\nPfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction.\n\nPfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients.\n\nThe British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it.\n\nIn the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines.\n\nBut because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot.\n\nAnaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic.\n\nCarl Zimmer contributed reporting.\n\n[Noah Weiland](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/noah-weiland) is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago.\n\n[Sharon LaFraniere](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/sharon-lafraniere) is an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia.\n\n[Mike Baker](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/mike-baker) is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska.\n\n[Katie Thomas](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/katie-thomas) covers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2020, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n## Related Content\n[The Covid-19 Pandemic](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/news-event\/coronavirus)\n\n- ![Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, is also serving as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/18\/multimedia\/26hs-cdc\/26hs-cdc-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Eric Lee\/The New York Times\n- ![President Trump’s efforts to make broad changes to unemployment insurance have raised concerns among groups that support the aid.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/24\/multimedia\/24dc-trump-jobs-01-clhb\/24dc-trump-jobs-01-clhb-thumbLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Tierney L. Cross\/The New York Times\n- Andrea Verdelli for The New York Times\n\n[More in Health](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/health)\n\n- ![An exam room at Priority Private Care on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2018.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/00-EPSTEIN-DOCTORS-controlling-vglc\/00-EPSTEIN-DOCTORS-controlling-vglc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Kholood Eid for The New York Times\n- ![Leah Stavenhagen, right, with her mother, Susan Stavenhagen, at a retreat in North Falmouth, Mass., last August.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/23hs-stavenhagen-02-gtwk-print1-SUB\/23hs-stavenhagen-02-gtwk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Lucy Lu for The New York Times\n- ![In an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/23\/well\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Warrick Page\/HBO Max\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/science\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators\/03sci-SPAN-financial-predators-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Federica Bordoni\n\nEditors’ Picks\n\n- ![Yasmin Fahr’s honey-garlic chicken breasts.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.\n- ![A view over the Chamonix valley from the Balme-Vallorcine ski area. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/25\/multimedia\/25-alps-skiing-development-bvwc\/25-alps-skiing-development-bvwc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Alexandre Juillet\/Chamonix-Mont Blanc\n\nTrending in The Times\n\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/08\/magazine\/08mag-lor-1\/08mag-lor-1-square640.png?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Illustration by Richard a Chance\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03eks-vkzt\/03eks-vkzt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Photo Illustration by Ioulex for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/opinion\/03emba\/03emba-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Janet Mac\n- ![High Falls is one of three waterfalls in Rochester.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/04\/multimedia\/04re-LivingIn-Rochester-01-bgfl\/04re-LivingIn-Rochester-01-bgfl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Lauren Petracca for The New York Times\n- ![Pizza Hut Classics replicate the Pizza Huts of the 1980s and ’90s down to the tablecloths.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03FD-pizza-hut-classic-01-hqkc\/03FD-pizza-hut-classic-01-hqkc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Noah Kalina for The New York Times\n- ![Untitled paintings in progress at David Novros’s studio in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/23\/t-magazine\/23tmag-novros-slide-FA4L\/23tmag-novros-slide-FA4L-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Jason Schmidt\n- ![The prosecution may rest their case this week against the Alexander brothers in federal court in Manhattan.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02met-alexanders-takeaway-02-qvzl\/02met-alexanders-takeaway-02-qvzl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Kent Edwards\/Reuters\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03lawfirms-editorial-mqpj\/03lawfirms-editorial-mqpj-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Aleksey Kondratyev for The New York Times\n- ![Fictionalized by her daughter Nancy Mitford as the beloved “Aunt Sadie,” the real woman was more complex and less cozy. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02TBRTrethewey-Review-qzlp\/02TBRTrethewey-Review-qzlp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  National Portrait Gallery, London\n- ![Discerning buyers want waterfront properties, with plenty of land and unobstructed views of downtown Miami.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/re-miami-billionaire-wzbk\/re-miami-billionaire-wzbk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Scott McIntyre for The New York Times\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/16\/health\/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Health Care Worker Had Serious Allergic Reaction After Pfizer's Covid Vaccine - The New York Times
Meta Description	One of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain.
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Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT One of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain. Vaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered. Credit... Tim Gruber for The New York Times Published Dec. 16, 2020 Updated Dec. 22, 2020 Two health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine this week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday. Health officials said that the cases would not disrupt their vaccine rollout plans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency. The first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. Dr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe allergic reactions . Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip. When doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said. Dr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night. The second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released. The hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine. “We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. Although the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions. Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated. “I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.” Dr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions. Millions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.” The Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered. Those cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. Although the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids. Dr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed. Pfizer’s trial did not find any serious adverse events caused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot. A Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said. After the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later clarified their concerns, changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said. Pfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction. Pfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients. The British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it. In the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines. But because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic. Carl Zimmer contributed reporting. Noah Weiland is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago. Sharon LaFraniere is an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia. Mike Baker is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska. Katie Thomas covers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter. A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2020 , Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine . Order Reprints \| Today’s Paper \| Subscribe Related Content The Covid-19 Pandemic Eric Lee/The New York Times Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Andrea Verdelli for The New York Times More in Health Kholood Eid for The New York Times Lucy Lu for The New York Times Warrick Page/HBO Max Federica Bordoni Editors’ Picks Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Alexandre Juillet/Chamonix-Mont Blanc Trending in The Times Illustration by Richard a Chance Photo Illustration by Ioulex for The New York Times Janet Mac Lauren Petracca for The New York Times Noah Kalina for The New York Times Jason Schmidt Kent Edwards/Reuters Aleksey Kondratyev for The New York Times National Portrait Gallery, London Scott McIntyre for The New York Times Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#site-index) Search & Section Navigation Section Navigation Search [Health](https://www.nytimes.com/section/health) [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2020%252F12%252F16%252Fhealth%252Fcovid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html&asset=masthead) Tuesday, March 3, 2026 [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) U.S. Health Policy - [Vaccine Schedule Lawsuit](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/health/vaccine-schedule-california-lawsuit.html) - [Moderna Flu Vaccine](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/health/fda-moderna-flu-vaccine-mrna.html) - [Covid Shots](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/health/vaccines-covid-acip-malone-kennedy.html) - [‘Naturally Derived’ Dyes](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/us/politics/kennedy-fda-food-dyes-protein.html) - [Approach to Immunization](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/health/kennedy-vaccines-children.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-sponsor) # 2 Alaska Health Workers Got Emergency Treatment After Receiving Pfizer’s Vaccine One of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain. - Share full article ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/12/16/science/16VIRUS-PFIZER/merlin_181252629_02424de9-9b12-448b-9a48-437e3507ee3d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Vaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York Times By [Noah Weiland](https://www.nytimes.com/by/noah-weiland)[Sharon LaFraniere](https://www.nytimes.com/by/sharon-lafraniere)[Mike Baker](https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-baker) and [Katie Thomas](https://www.nytimes.com/by/katie-thomas) Published Dec. 16, 2020Updated Dec. 22, 2020 Two health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving [Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/pfizer-vaccine-doses.html) this week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday. Health officials said that the cases would not disrupt their [vaccine rollout](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/world/europe/eu-coronavirus-vaccine.html) plans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency. The first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. Dr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe [allergic reactions](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/health/covid-vaccine-allergies.html). Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip. When doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said. Dr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night. The second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released. The hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine. “We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. ## Editors’ Picks [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/18/t-magazine/travel/18tmag-kids-resorts-slide-2BYG/18tmag-kids-resorts-slide-2BYG-thumbLarge.jpg)Resorts That Are Family Friendly and Actually Cool](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/t-magazine/resorts-that-are-family-friendly-and-actually-cool.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/28/magazine/28mag-ethicist/28mag-ethicist-thumbLarge.jpg)My Aging Mother Won’t Stop Driving. Should I Take Away Her Keys?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/magazine/aging-mother-driving-ethics.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/02/multimedia/02INDUSTRY-CHAT-01-czjw/02INDUSTRY-CHAT-01-czjw-thumbLarge.jpg)Among the Elites, Who Decides What Exploitation Looks Like?](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/style/industry-season-finale-chat-elites.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-pp_edpick) Although the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions. Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated. “I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.” Dr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions. Millions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.” [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/12/05/us/how-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-works-promo-1607191271139/how-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-works-promo-1607191271139-articleLarge-v10.png)How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works Two shots can prime the immune system to fight the coronavirus.](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine.html) The Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered. Those cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. Although the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids. Dr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed. Pfizer’s trial [did not find any serious adverse events](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html) caused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot. A Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said. After the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later [clarified their concerns,](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/confirmation-of-guidance-to-vaccination-centres-on-managing-allergic-reactions-following-covid-19-vaccination-with-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine) changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said. Pfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction. Pfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients. The British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it. In the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines. But because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic. Carl Zimmer contributed reporting. The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine [![]()The U.K. says people with severe allergies should not take the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while two reactions are under investigation. Dec. 9, 2020](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/world/the-uk-says-people-with-severe-allergies-should-not-take-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-while-two-reactions-are-under-investigation.html) [![]()F.D.A. Clears Pfizer Vaccine, and Millions of Doses Will Be Shipped Right Away Dec. 11, 2020](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/health/pfizer-vaccine-authorized.html) [![]()Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine and Allergies: How Concerned Should You Be? Dec. 11, 2020](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/health/Covid-Pfizer-vaccine-allergies.html) [Noah Weiland](https://www.nytimes.com/by/noah-weiland) is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago. [Sharon LaFraniere](https://www.nytimes.com/by/sharon-lafraniere) is an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia. [Mike Baker](https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-baker) is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska. [Katie Thomas](https://www.nytimes.com/by/katie-thomas) covers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter. A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2020, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine. 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/health/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction.html#after-top) One of the workers, who did not have a history of allergies, remained in the hospital on Wednesday night. Some reactions to the vaccine were also reported last week in Britain. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/12/16/science/16VIRUS-PFIZER/merlin_181252629_02424de9-9b12-448b-9a48-437e3507ee3d-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Vaccines being prepared in Fargo, N.D., on Monday. The reaction was believed to be similar to the reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer vaccine last week. They both recovered.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York Times Published Dec. 16, 2020Updated Dec. 22, 2020 Two health care workers at the same hospital in Alaska developed concerning reactions just minutes after receiving [Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/pfizer-vaccine-doses.html) this week, including one staff member who was to remain hospitalized until Thursday. Health officials said that the cases would not disrupt their [vaccine rollout](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/world/europe/eu-coronavirus-vaccine.html) plans and that they were sharing the information for the sake of transparency. The first worker, a middle-aged woman who had no history of allergies, had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau on Tuesday, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. Dr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe [allergic reactions](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/health/covid-vaccine-allergies.html). Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip. When doctors tried to stop the drip, her symptoms re-emerged yet again, so the woman was moved to the intensive care unit, observed throughout the night, then weaned off the drip early Wednesday morning, Dr. Jones said. Dr. Jones had said earlier Wednesday that the woman was set to be discharged in the evening, but the hospital said late Wednesday that she was remaining another night. The second worker received his shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, lightheadedness and a scratchy throat 10 minutes after the injection, the hospital said in a statement. He was taken to the emergency room and treated with epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl, although the hospital said the reaction was not considered anaphylaxis. The worker was back to normal within an hour and released. The hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine. “We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. Although the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe and about 95 percent effective in a clinical trial involving 44,000 participants, the Alaska cases will likely intensify concerns about possible side effects. Experts said the developments may prompt calls for tighter guidelines to ensure that recipients were carefully monitored for adverse reactions. Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine expert and member of an outside advisory panel that recommended the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, said the appropriate precautions were already in place. For instance, he said, the requirement that recipients remain in place for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine helped ensure the woman was quickly treated. “I don’t think this means we should pause” vaccine distribution, he said. “Not at all.” But he said researchers need to figure out “what component of the vaccine is causing this reaction.” Dr. Jay Butler, a top infectious-disease expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Alaska situation showed that the monitoring system worked. The agency has recommended that the vaccine be administered in settings that have supplies, including oxygen and epinephrine, to manage anaphylactic reactions. Millions of Americans are in line to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the year. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear how many Americans so far have received it. Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said his department would be releasing that data “several days or maybe a week into this.” The Alaska woman’s reaction was believed to be similar to the anaphylactic reactions two health workers in Britain experienced after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week. Like her, both recovered. Those cases are expected to come up on Thursday, when F.D.A. scientists are scheduled to meet with the agency’s outside panel of experts to decide whether to recommend that regulators approve Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. Although the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on the same type of technology and similar in their ingredients, it is not clear whether an allergic reaction to one would occur with the other. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble of oily molecules called lipids, although they use different combinations of lipids. Dr. Offit said that in both vaccines, the bubbles are coated with a stabilizing molecule called polyethylene glycol that he considered a “leading contender” for triggering an allergic reaction. He stressed that more investigation was needed. Pfizer’s trial [did not find any serious adverse events](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html) caused by the vaccine, although many participants did experience aches, fevers and other side effects. The Alaska reactions were assumed to be related to the vaccine because they occurred so quickly after the shot. A Pfizer spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts, said the company did not yet have all of the details of the Alaska situation but was working with local health authorities. The vaccine comes with information warning that medical treatment should be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event, she said. “We will closely monitor all reports suggestive of serious allergic reactions following vaccination and update labeling language if needed,” Ms. Pitts said. After the workers in Britain fell ill, authorities there warned against giving the vaccines to anyone with a history of severe allergic reactions. They later [clarified their concerns,](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/confirmation-of-guidance-to-vaccination-centres-on-managing-allergic-reactions-following-covid-19-vaccination-with-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine) changing the wording from “severe allergic reactions” to specify that the vaccine should not be given to anyone who has ever had an anaphylactic reaction to a food, medicine or vaccine. That type of reaction to a vaccine is “very rare,” they said. Pfizer officials have said the two British people who had the reaction had a history of severe allergies. One, a 49-year-old woman, had a history of egg allergies. The other, a 40-year-old woman, had a history of allergies to several medications. Both carried EpiPen-like devices to inject themselves with epinephrine in case of such a reaction. Pfizer has said that its vaccine does not contain egg ingredients. The British update also said that a third patient had a “possible allergic reaction,” but did not describe it. In the United States, federal regulators issued a broad authorization for the vaccine on Friday to adults 16 years and older. Health care providers were warned not to give the vaccine to anyone with a “known history of a severe allergic reaction” to any component of the vaccine, which they said was a standard warning for vaccines. But because of the British cases, F.D.A. officials have said they would require Pfizer to increase its monitoring for anaphylaxis and submit data on it once the vaccine comes into further use. Pfizer also said the vaccine was recommended to be administered in settings that have access to equipment to manage anaphylaxis. Last weekend, the C.D.C. said people with serious allergies could be safely vaccinated, with close monitoring for 30 minutes after receiving the shot. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening, with impaired breathing and drops in blood pressure that usually occur within minutes or even seconds after exposure to a food or medicine, or even a substance like latex to which the person is allergic. Carl Zimmer contributed reporting. [Noah Weiland](https://www.nytimes.com/by/noah-weiland) is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering health care. He was raised in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated from the University of Chicago. [Sharon LaFraniere](https://www.nytimes.com/by/sharon-lafraniere) is an investigative reporter. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting on Donald Trump’s connections with Russia. [Mike Baker](https://www.nytimes.com/by/mike-baker) is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska. [Katie Thomas](https://www.nytimes.com/by/katie-thomas) covers the business of health care, with a focus on the drug industry. She started at The Times in 2008 as a sports reporter. A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2020, Section A, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: Health Worker Hospitalized After Vaccine. 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