U.S. CDC warns COVID-19 vaccination providers of anxiety-related adverse events

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday urged COVID-19 vaccine providers to be aware of anxiety-related events after vaccination.

Syncope and other anxiety-related events can occur after COVID-19 vaccination, said the CDC.

The CDC received reports of clusters of anxiety-related events after administration of the Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine on April 7 from five mass vaccination sites, all in different states, 5 weeks after the vaccine got authorization for emergency use in the country.

Overall, 64 anxiety-related events, including 17 reports of syncope, an anxiety-related event, among 8,624 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recipients, were reported from these sites for vaccines administered during April 7 to 9, according to the CDC.

It is important that vaccination providers are aware that anxiety-related adverse events might be reported more frequently after receipt of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine than after influenza vaccination, said the CDC.

The agency urged vaccination providers to observe all COVID-19 vaccine recipients for any adverse reactions for at least 15 minutes after vaccine administration.