A California health official is calling for clinicians to stop using a batch of Moderna coronavirus vaccines after half a dozen people suffered allergic reactions.
More than 330,000 doses of the shot were distributed to 287 providers across the state earlier this month.
However, after six recipients needed medical attention at a mass immunization site in San Diego over the span of 24 hours,
The batch of vaccines - lot 041L20A - is now under investigation and state epidemiologist Dr Erica S Pan, urged to that all sites swap out vaccines from that batch with replacement doses.
California's top epidemiologist Dr Erica S Pan issued a statement urging no clinicians use Moderna coronavirus vaccines from a specific lot that may be linked to allergic reactions. Pictured; Pan in her office in Oakland, California, June 2020
Six healthcare workers at the 'Vaccination Super Station' at Tailgate Park in San Diego (pictured) are said to have suffered 'severe' allergic reactions
One worker said she couldn't feel her tongue and had neck pain within 15 minutes of being given the jab. Pictured: San Diego's 'Vaccination Super Station' at Tailgate Park
'Our goal is to provide the COVID vaccine safely, swiftly and equitably,' Pan wrote in a statement on Sunday.
'A higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported with a specific lot of Moderna vaccine administered at one community vaccination clinic.
'Out of an extreme abundance of caution and also recognizing the extremely limited supply of vaccine, we are recommending that providers use other available vaccine inventory and pause the administration of vaccines from Moderna Lot 041L20A until the investigation by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and the state is complete.'
A spokesman for the California Department of Public Health told DailyMail.com the pause is not mandatory and all providers have the option to implement it or not.
So far, Monterey, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz have paused distribution and two COVID-19 vaccine clinics have been canceled in Stanislaus County amid concerns of vaccine availability following the allergic reaction reports.
Monday, the County of Santa Clara was the first in the state to say that it will pausing administration of vaccines from the specific lot.
The shipment of 330,000 doses - about one-tenth of the state's total distribution -arrived in California between January 5 and 12 and were sent to providers across the state.
However, according to NBC 7 San Diego, all of the incidents occurred at the 'Vaccination Super Station' at Tailgate Park.
Tailgate Park is a 1,000-space parking lot adjacent to Petco Park, where the San Diego Padres baseball team plays, that is designated for tailgating.
The stations reports that during the standard 15-minute observation period, six health care workers suffered allergic reactions.
California Department of Public Health defined the reactions as 'severe' but did not elaborate on what they were.
Several local reports have confirmed that some people receiving their first vaccine dose have experienced anaphylactic shock, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to an allergy from food, medicine or even a type of material.
The immune system releases chemicals that flood the body, blood pressure suddenly drops, and airways narrow, which prevents someone from breathing normally.
Symptoms usually occur within minutes and include hives, a weak pulse, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and a swollen tongue or throat.
If not treated immediately, it can lead to death.
Sufferers are typically given epinephrine, a hormone that relaxes the airway muscles, to treat their symptoms.
Moderna vaccines at the drive-thru site were swapped with replacement doses just in case the reactions were due to the specific lot. Pictured: Vials of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine sit on a table during a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Sonoma County, California, January 13
Officials are investigating the lot of vaccines and no other vaccination site has reported any adverse events. Pictured: A CalFire firefighter is given his first dose of the Moderna vaccine in El Cajon, California, January 15
One healthcare worker, Diana Cannizzo, said she couldn't feel her tongue and had neck pain after being given the shot.
'They gave me 50 milliliters of Benadryl and then they started monitoring me even closer,' she told NBC 7 San Diego.
'In the meantime, somebody else had come in a gurney.'
Despite her reaction, Cannizzo said she stills encourages others to get the vaccine.
'I don't want anyone to hear my story and decide, 'Oh, I don't want to take that vaccine because of what happened to her,' she said.
'I did have some underlying conditions from other medications. I don't know if that came into play; maybe it did, maybe it didn't but anybody that has a lot of allergic reactions, just maybe think about it and talk to their doctors.'
Dr Eric McDonald, director of epidemiology for San Diego County, said vaccines at the drive-thru site were swapped with replacement doses just in case the reactions were due to the specific lot.
No other providers in any other area have reported allergic reactions to vaccines administered from that batch.
In a statement, Moderna said it cooperating with California's health department to investigate the allergic reactions.
'Moderna acknowledges receiving a report from the California Department of Public Health that a number of individuals at one vaccination center were treated for possible allergic reactions after vaccination from one lot of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine,' the statement read.
'The company is fully cooperating with CDPH in investigating these reported adverse events.'
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