Covid-19 vaccines will be progressively given out to our population, and many frontliners as well as those in vulnerable age groups like the elderly are already getting their first vaccine doses.
However, 4 out of 155,000 people have had allergic reactions to the jab.
Thankfully, none of them needed ICU support and have made recoveries.
Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Janil Puthucheary said the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risk of side effects.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Dr Janil said in Parliament on 1 Feb that 4 cases of severe allergic reaction to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been reported thus far.
Fortunately, none had to receive intensive care unit (ICU) support and have made recoveries already.
In a written response to West Coast GRC MP Ang Wei Neng’s questions about how many have shown symptoms or side effects after they got the vaccine, he noted the individuals were in their 20s and 30s.
They developed symptoms such as rash, breathlessness and dizziness.
3 of them have histories of allergies such as allergic rhinitis. However, none had histories of severe allergic reactions to antigens, such as those found in the vaccine.
Dr Janil said that when detected and treated early, anaphylaxis can be controlled. MOH also monitors all vaccine receivers and thus were able to treat the 4 patients early.
In total, about 155,000 residents have received doses of the vaccine.
Currently, the incidence rate of anaphylaxis here is about 2.6% per 100,000 doses while the rate overseas is 1-2%.
However, the local number is said to change as the number of people vaccinated in Singapore so far is relatively small.
Dr Puthucheary added that the benefits of being vaccinated to protect oneself from complications of Covid-19 infection outweighs the risk of potential adverse affects of vaccination.
Furthermore, vaccine safety will be closely monitored and the government will ensure that vaccines will be safe for Singapore’s residents.
The minister said the wellbeing of Singaporeans remain their top priority for the vaccination programme.
On Monday (1 Feb), all 20 polyclinics across Singapore will begin offering Covid-19 vaccinations. You can find out more about the Covid-19 vaccine programme via this link.
While it may be alarming to learn that some residents have had severe allergic reactions to the Covid-19 vaccine, the incidence rate for such cases remain low.
They also recovered with prompt treatment, and none of their lives are in danger.
With assurance that the benefits of being vaccinated outweigh the risks, it’s worth a shot for us to get a jab in order for us to emerge out of this tunnel stronger.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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