Low adverse reactions to vaccines – Duque

DAGUPAN CITY – Adverse reactions following immunization among those inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines was only one to 1.5 percent, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

In an interview with the local media during his visit yesterday at the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) here, Duque said the side effects include pain at the injection site, swelling, dizziness, headache or weakness.

He noted that cases of major side effects are even lower, at .0058 percent as of their data two or three days ago.

“If you will see the risks versus benefits, it is really much higher for the benefits derived from the vaccines which are very important in the fight against the pandemic,” Duque said.

He added, “We need to intensify compliance to all of our minimum public health standards or non-pharmaceutical interventions.”

Duque also said vaccine acceptance has increased and the hesitancy has lowered, which is consistent with the Public Survey Research Center results that showed 77 percent of Filipinos were willing to be vaccinated as long as there will be others to do so ahead of them.

“Here we saw at the R1MC some had been vaccinated, so many followed suit,” he said.

He said they are confident this will continue so that Filipinos would take their COVID-19 jabs the soonest possible time as it is safe and effective.

Duque also appealed to his fellow Pangasinenses not to have doubts or hesitation to get their COVID-19 vaccines, adding that it is a very important key to getting back to normal and jumpstarting the economy.
R1MC chief Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia pledged 100 percent of the hospital work force will get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Adverse events

Meanwhile, a total of 978 recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine being given by the government since March 1 have experienced adverse events, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, of the 978 adverse events, 892 are from Sinovac vaccines while 86 are from AstraZeneca vaccines.

“Some 11.2 percent or 114,615 out of the more than one million masterlisted eligible population had already been vaccinated,” she said at a press briefing.

Vergeire noted of the 892 “adverse events following immunization” from Sinovac jabs, 872 are non-serious while 20 cases are serious.

On the other hand, 85 of the adverse events from AstraZeneca inoculation are non-serious while one is serious.

“The most common adverse events that we have noted would be muscle pain, pain on injection site, body and fever. Some experienced high blood pressure while others had rashes,” she added.

The official, however, said the minor adverse events are the same side effects usually experienced by children when they are given immunization.

“There were serious side effects or adverse events that happened wherein some experienced difficulty in breathing while others had chest pains,” she added.

She said these vaccinees were properly observed, managed and given medicines when necessary.

Vergeire said they are now studying the possible “causality” of the serious adverse events.

“According to the head of National Adverse Events Following Immunity Committee, anxiety may have contributed to (the adverse events). They were worried that there would be side effects, (and) they are afraid of needles,” she added. –  Cesar Ramirez, Sheila Crisostomo