'I have no regrets at all': Victoria woman suffers allergic reaction to COVID-19 vaccine
A 32-year-old Victoria woman says she has no regrets about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, despite suffering an extremely rare allergic reaction after her first shot.
Annie Taal got her first dose at the Archie Browning centre in Esquimalt in late May. She began to feel sick within minutes of leaving the vaccine centre, according to Island Health.
“I couldn’t take a deep breath," she told the health authority, which shared her story in a media release Wednesday. "I was winded and felt like I had a sunburn."
Taal returned to the recreation centre where nurses determined she was having an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine.
The Victoria woman was diagnosed with serious allergies as a teenager and had asked her doctor whether or not she should get the COVID-19 vaccine, Island Health says.
She was advised that the risks of contracting COVID-19 far outweighed those of an allergic reaction, according to the health authority.
“I have no regrets at all," Taal said. "I understand the fear and uncertainty many people are feeling, but the fact-based evidence shows us the vaccines are safe and they are the best way for us to move forward through the pandemic.”
Taal was taken to Victoria General Hospital for observation after nurses at the recreation centre treated her.
She was later referred to an immunologist in Victoria to determine if she could receive a second dose of vaccine. They used a technique called graded-dose administration – where the full dose is separated into smaller doses and provided over a span of time with close monitoring – and Taal is now fully vaccinated, according to Island Health.
Taal was asked to participate in a study of people who have experienced an allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I am grateful to be part of this study because we really don’t know yet why some people have these rare reactions,” she said. “If I can help just one person feel safer about getting their shot, it will be worth it.”
Dr. Michael Benusic with Island Health says a very small number of people will react to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are very rare – about 1 in 100,000 people will react," Benusic said. "Our vaccination sites are set up to identify and respond to this when it occurs, which is exactly what happened with this patient."
A spokesperson for Island Health declined to say how many similar allergic reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine have been recorded in the island region, instead referring the question to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Island Health says approximately 10 per cent of Vancouver Island residents remain unvaccinated. The health authority says the unvaccinated "are experiencing the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations, critical care admissions, and deaths in critical care."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.