英, 화이자백신 접종지침 구체화…"아나필락시스 경험자는 불가"
UK's National Health Service warns people "with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food" should not be given the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech.
The warning comes after two health care workers who got the vaccine on Tuesday suffered adverse reactions.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.
The UK's medicine regulator has clarified that the main risk of taking the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine... was from anaphylaxis.
It had earlier advised anyone with a history of "significant allergic reactions" not to take the two-dose vaccine.
In a statement released Thursday... the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Chief Executive June Raine... said since the rollout began... there had been two reports of anaphylaxis and one report of a possible allergic reaction.
Raine said such allergic reactions had not been a feature of Pfizer's clinical trials... but that the vaccine has met its robust standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
Anaphylaxis is an overreaction by the body's immune system which can induce symptoms of shock... including severe breathing problems and low blood pressure.
It can sometimes be life-threatening.
Meanwhile, Canada has become the third country in the world to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine... after the UK and Bahrain.
Health Canada announced on its website... the vaccine had been granted interim authorization... and that inoculation could start as early as next week for people over the age of 16.
Regarding President Trump's signing of an executive order to prioritize vaccine doses for Americans... South Korean health authorities downplayed concerns and highlighted that the AstraZeneca vaccine that's being manufactured in Korea is for local distribution.
Seoul's health ministry has announced deals with four drugmakers... AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna,... which will provide enough doses to inoculate 34 million people.
Vaccines for a further 10 million people will also be secured through the COVAX global vaccine initiative.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
