IDSA Holds Real Time Vaccine Chat Q&A on Twitter

Recently, the Infectious Diseases Society of America held a question-and-answer discussion on their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Real Time Learning Network (RTLN) twitter account. The COVID-19 RTLN, headed by Natasha Chida and a slew of other medical experts, is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary response aimed at releasing the latest clinical guidance, institutional protocols, clinical trials data, practice tools and resources from a variety of medical subspecialties around the world.

The Q&A took place on Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 and saw many important questions answered by some of the medical fields leading experts in infectious diseases.

Q3. To date, how many allergic and anaphylactic reactions have been seen among those in the general public that received the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines? Have there been any deaths linked to these vaccines?

“Great news is COVID vaccines are very safe and effective. Serious adverse events are very uncommon. Anaphylactic reactions are very uncommon = 2.8 - 5/million from data thru Jan 18.”- Anu Malani

“There was just a nice paper in JAMA on anaphylaxis after mRNA vaccination that noted a very low rate – fewer than 5 cases of anaphylaxis per million doses and no deaths.”- Bill Muller

Q4. What data exist to support @CDCgov’s guidance that it is acceptable to extend the interval between the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses to 6 weeks (if it isn’t feasible to give the second dose in the recommended interval)?

“If it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval and a delay in vaccination is unavoidable, the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose.”- Nancy Meissonier

“Need data but this is something that comes up frequently w/ other multi-dose vaccine series when people miss doses; despite getting doses late patients often still have robust immune responses.”- Mike Stevens

Q6. What do we know about how effective the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are against the variants that have emerged from the UK and South Africa (B.1.1.7 and B.1.351)?

“No trial data specifically how mRNA COVID vaccines fare v. new variants but lab results showed a 1-3fld decrease in abs’ neutralizing ability v. variants.” Gavin H. Harris

“For the mRNA vaccines we have lab data only and some observations from Israel. Nice lab work shows very modest reduction in Ab response to B.1.1.7 but marked reduction to B.1.351.”- Andrew Pavia

Q7. What studies are ongoing to determine if getting vaccinated decreases transmission? If someone gets vaccinated and doesn’t get sick from COVID-19, won’t that decrease transmission?

“We don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, even if you don’t get sick yourself. We are investigating this issue and will update guidance as we learn more.”- Nancy Meissonier

“Israeli study posted on 2/8 showed vaccinated ppl w/ Pfizer vaccine and who still were infected had less virus in body than unvaccinated ppl (maybe less transmission?) NHP study w/ Pfizer vaccine has also found protection from transferring virus.”- Gavin H. Harris