Two persons have sought hospitalisation locally after suffering severe allergic reactions to the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the Health and Wellness Ministry.
However, Director of Family Health Services in the ministry, Dr Melody Ennis, said the persons have since been treated and released.
Speaking at Wednesday’s Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic and related matters, Ennis revealed that since the island’s vaccination programme began last month, 40 persons have reported experiencing side effects.
While noting that inoculated persons are expected to experience some side effects, she explained that the majority of those who display negative symptoms are better within 72 hours.
“We continue to monitor the events that are supposedly attributed to vaccination or immunisation, and we have collected just about 40 of those,” Ennis disclosed.
“Most of the persons reported having the expected side effects of the vaccine, which include the flu-like illness, the real feeling of being tired, (and) some amount of headache and dizziness. All of those persons have resolved (their side effects) within the 72-hour time-frame that is allotted for that.
“We had just about two persons who we considered serious, who had to be treated at hospital just for allergic reactions, and they two have resolved and certainly gone home,” she continued.
As of Wednesday of this week, 41,901 people have been inoculated nationally through the Government’s vaccination programme.