California resumes Moderna COVID-19 vaccine usage after pause

California's health department said on Wednesday it was safe to continue to use a batch of COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna Inc for inoculation after a pause on Sunday due to possible allergic reactions.

Moderna said on Tuesday it had received a report from the California Department of Public Health that several people at a center in San Diego were treated for possible allergic reactions after vaccination from one lot of its COVID-19 vaccine.

The state health department held discussions with various U.S. authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and found no scientific basis to continue the pause, state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said in a statement.

Moderna confirmed the vaccine would continue to be administered in California when contacted by Reuters.

Moderna has said it is unaware of comparable adverse cases from other vaccination centers which may have administered vaccines from the same batch as the one in the San Diego center, or from other batches.

"These findings should continue to give Californians confidence that vaccines are safe and effective," Pan added.