EPIDEMIC: “A case of non-serious adverse effect has been recorded” since the start of vaccination in France, specifies the ANSM Medicines Agency, which remains attentive to the reports in other countries
No serious adverse effects were observed in France during this second week of vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against coronavirus Covid-19, the ANSM drug agency indicated on Friday.
“A case of a non-serious adverse reaction was recorded in the national pharmacovigilance database. It concerns a temporary decrease in certain immune cells (lymphocytes), ”said the health agency in an information point. Although already observed in clinical trials, this non-serious side effect has not yet been included in the package leaflet.
The ANSM remains on the alert
The ANSM says it is “also attentive to the reports of adverse effects that have occurred in other countries” in which this vaccine marketed under the name of Community is used. The analysis of allergic reaction cases that she requested from a pharmacovigilance centre “confirms the extremely rare occurrence of serious allergic reactions”.
This vigilance on cases of serious allergies is continuing in order to better identify possible people at risk of allergic reactions.
The same analysis to do on Moderna
The day after the start of the vaccination campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the United Kingdom, two cases of severe allergy had marked the spirits. But “it is possible to vaccinate with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine patients who have a serious drug or food allergy,” the French Allergology Federation stressed on Monday. The contraindication only concerns patients who are allergic to one or other of the ingredients contained in this vaccine, she continued, mentioning in particular polyethylene glycol (PEG) which could be implicated.
The ongoing analysis of the adverse effects reported with vaccines against Covid-19 continues and will extend to Moderna vaccine, the second vaccine authorized in Europe (since January 6) and based on the same technology (messenger RNA ) than that of Pfizer / BioNTech.
50,000 people already vaccinated in France
The first weekly report on cases reported in France will be made available as soon as a greater number of adverse effects have been reported, notes the ANSM.
France approached Thursday evening a total of 50,000 people who received the injection, while the government had set itself the goal of completing the first phase of vaccination in nursing homes, which concerns about 1 million people, during January and February.
