FDA: Small percentage of COVID-19 vaccine recipients reported side effects

Only 2.45% or 24,698 out of more than 1 million individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 reported experiencing an adverse event following immunization (AEFI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday.

In an online forum, FDA chief Eric Domingo said 17,654 AEFI reports were from those who got the AstraZeneca jab while 7,044 received Sinovac’s CoronaVac.

A total of 24,330 cases were non-serious, 344 were serious reactions not involving death, and 24 cases involved death.

An expert earlier said fever, headache, pain at the vaccination site, muscle pains, and increased blood pressure were some of the most commonly reported side effects. 

A serious AEFI, on the other hand, is one that requires hospital admission, involves death or a life-threatening reaction, and causes significant disability or birth defects and fetal malformations.

‘Coincidental’

Domingo clarified that the National AEFI Committee classified 19 of the 24 deaths as “coincidental” or not caused by the COVID-19 vaccines. All other fatalities are still undergoing evaluation.

He added that 11 deaths were caused by COVID-19, eight patients suffered a heart attack or stroke, three died from infectious diseases other than COVID-19, and two cases are pending review.

Ten of the fatalities got CoronaVac and 14 received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Although nakakalungkot po na siyempre may nakita tayo na mga ganitong kaso, ang evaluation naman po natin (Although we are sad to hear such cases, what our evaluation found) is these [are] independent and most of them are not related to the vaccination and that definitely [in] vaccination, the benefits outweigh the risk,” he said.

“It takes at least two to three weeks after the second dose bago po talaga ma-maximize ang inyong protection kaya wag po tayong magpapabaya, mag-ingat pa rin po right after vaccination,” he added.

(It takes at least two to three weeks after the second dose to maximize protection so let’s not be complacent and continue being vigilant right after vaccination.)

Over 1.3 million individuals have been vaccinated in the Philippines as of April 20. 

The country has recorded 971,049 COVID-19 cases with 846,691 recoveries and 16,370 deaths as of Thursday afternoon. — RSJ, GMA News