Third Case Of Severe Reaction To Vaccine Reported
Japan's health ministry says a third case of a severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, following a coronavirus vaccination has been reported in the country.
The ministry says a female healthcare worker in her 30s started coughing about five minutes after getting inoculated on Sunday. Other symptoms included difficult breathing and throat discomfort.
She received the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.
The woman recovered after being treated with medication and was hospitalized to be monitored.
The woman has had an anaphylactic reaction in the past with food and animal allergens.
Her medical institution reported that her symptoms were related to the vaccination.
More than 46,000 healthcare workers in the country had been inoculated as of 5 p.m. Friday.
Tokyo Medical and Dental University Professor Morio Tomohiro, who also heads the health ministry's expert panel, says he has the impression that Japan has a higher frequency of reports on anaphylaxis compared to the United States and European countries.
But he noted it is important to analyze the backgrounds of people who suffered a severe allergic reaction. He added that the panel will examine and assess the cases up to this point.