California officials say providers can resume administering Moderna vaccine from a specific lot after pause
California health officials have given providers the all-clear to “immediately” resume administering the Moderna vaccine from a specific lot after pausing earlier this week due to possible allergic reactions.
The state’s health department previously said it was aware of fewer than 10 people who received shots from the lot and required medical attention.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we recommended that providers pause the distribution of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine lot 41L20A on Sunday evening. Yesterday, we convened the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup and additional allergy and immunology specialists to examine the evidence collected,” state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said in a statement Wednesday.
Health experts found “no scientific basis to continue the pause,” Pan added.
Moderna said earlier this week 37 different states got shipments from the lot, which included more than 1.2 million doses, adding that most had likely been used.
More than 330,000 doses from the lot were distributed to 287 providers across California between January 5 and January 12. Tens of thousands of doses may have already been administered when the state’s health officials made their initial announcement, a spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) previously said.
But CDPH said Sunday fewer than 10 people at a San Diego clinic who received the Covid-19 vaccines from the lot required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. The state said it was not aware of anyone at any of the other 286 sites who had similar allergic reactions after receiving the vaccine from the lot.
The latest findings, Pan said Wednesday, “should continue to give Californians confidence that vaccines are safe and effective, and that the systems put in place to ensure vaccine safety are rigorous and science-based.”
“Members of my family who have qualified to receive the vaccine as health care workers or because of their age have already received the COVID-19 vaccine, and I encourage every Californian to get the vaccine when it’s their turn,” Pan added.
