As with all vaccines, some recipients of the Covid-19 jabs are bound to experience adverse side effects.
On Monday (16 Aug), the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that 0.12% of the 7.5 million doses of mRNA vaccines administered as of 31 Jul have reported adverse events (AEs).
Most of these cases involved allergic reactions, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
In a Covid-19 vaccines safety update on Monday (16 Aug), HSA said that they’ve received 9,403 reports of suspected AE associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines administered in Singapore.
Though some might be shocked by the 4-figure number, it translates to just 0.12% of the 7.5 million jabs administered as of 31 Jul.
In Singapore, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was rolled out on 30 Dec 2020 while Moderna was administered from 12 Mar 2021.
Of the 9,403 reports, just 389 – or 0.005% of doses administered – were classified as serious AEs.
Despite these AEs, HSA maintains that the benefits of these vaccines continue to outweigh the risks.
According to HSA, the most common AEs include,
Fortunately, these typically go away after a few days.
Interestingly, syncope – AKA fainting and loss of consciousness – had a higher rate of occurrence among those aged 12-18.
HSA explains that this is due to the anxiety and fear associated with the vaccination process, rather than the vaccine itself.
On the other hand, anaphylaxis and other severe allergic reactions are among the most commonly reported serious AEs.
In the case of anaphylaxis, HSA says it is a “known adverse reaction” to vaccines in general. Singapore’s rate of anaphylaxis is also similar to that in other countries.
Younger folks may have also been fearful of the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis – inflammation of heart muscles and outer lining respectively – after receiving the mRNA vaccines.
Though HSA concedes that there is an “increased risk” of these in individuals 30 years and younger, the incidence rate remains low.
Those who’ve experienced these side effects have reportedly responded well to treatment and have been discharged from the hospital.
In the case of the Sinovac vaccine, 47 AE reports have been filed since it was allowed to be administered through the Special Access Route (SAR) on 2 Jun.
This accounts for just 0.03% of the 149,107 doses administered to date.
Though the AEs may seem concerning, their low rate of occurrence proves that there’s a very slim chance of many people experiencing them.
Beyond that, this goes to show that there’s no reason to fear getting the vaccine, which would probably help more than harm people.
We hope those who are still unvaccinated will get their jabs soon to protect themselves and those around them.
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Featured image adapted from Ong Ye Kung on Facebook.
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