Alaska Health Worker Hospitalized After Experiencing ‘Serious Reaction’ to Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine

A health worker in Alaska experienced a “serious reaction” and was subsequently hospitalized after receiving a dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last week, according to reports.

The worker had what the New York Times described as a “serious reaction” after receiving the vaccination and remained in the hospital as of Wednesday morning, according to the paper. The worker had “no history of drug allergies,” the Times reported, adding that it remains “unclear whether he or she suffered from other types of allergies, according to one person familiar with the case.”

This month, Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) confirmed that it was providing “resuscitation facilities” in vaccination centers following reports of two individuals experiencing anaphylactic reactions after receiving the vaccine. However, the two health care workers reportedly had histories of allergic reactions.

“Resuscitation facilities should be available at all times for all vaccinations. Vaccination should only be carried out in facilities where resuscitation measures are available,” the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said, offering “precautionary advice.”

The FDA approved Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use on Friday. On Monday, a critical care nurse out of New York reportedly became the first person in the U.S. to receive the Pfizer vaccine outside of clinical trials:

The news coincides with a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released this week, which found that an increasing number of Americans have expressed willingness to receive a vaccine, contingent on two factors: If it is deemed safe and offered for free. Seventy-one percent indicated that they will “definitely” or “probably” get a coronavirus vaccine based on those factors — an eight-point jump from the 63 percent who said the same in September.

Willingness to get the vaccination rose across ethnic groups and political parties, the survey showed.