US commences research on allergic reaction risk in Moderna, Pfizer vaccines

The US National Institutes of Health has begun a mid-stage study to determine the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer.

Several allergic reaction incidents, including serious episodes, known as anaphylaxis, have been reported in the US after vaccinations of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna shots.

In January, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said allergic reactions are occurring at a rate of 11.1 per one million vaccinations.

The study, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will enroll 3,400 adults between the ages of 18 to 69, with about 60 per cent participants having a history of severe allergic reactions to food, insect stings or immunotherapy.

The goal of the trial is to access the proportion of participants who have a systemic allergic reaction within 90 minutes after injection.

The agency expects to report data later this summer.