Health department urges public to report vaccine adverse events

The Department of Health on Wednesday urged all people who had experienced any adverse events after receiving their Covid-19 vaccine to immediately report to their nearest health facility or vaccination site.

The department said it had noted with concern a video clip circulating on social media platforms, depicting a male patient suffering from what looks like throat cancer. The man claimed that his diagnosis was the result of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The department’s spokesperson Foster Mohale discouraged members of the public from using other people’s health conditions and life experiences to push their personal theories to justify their opposition to Covid-19 jabs.

ALSO READ: Is Deltacron a new variant – Here’s what you need to know

He called on people who had experienced adverse effects after getting a vaccine to report their symptoms, adding that rare vaccine adverse events can be managed successfully if they are identified early, including those that need medical attention or hospitalisation.

“Each province and district has allocated persons who are responsible for investigating severe and serious adverse events following immunisation within 48 hours since it has been identified or the health system has been notified thereof,” Mohale said in a statement.

“Upon reporting the case, the assigned investigators will obtain the medical records of the person who experienced the adverse event, and submit these data to the National Immunisation Safety Expert Committee (NISEC) without making any judgment themselves on the cause of the adverse event.”

No time limit on reporting

The health department said there was no time limit to reporting an event. It said all adverse events after vaccination were taken seriously, and appropriate action can only be taken if they are reported. 

The department reminded the public that all vaccines and medicines had side effects, with the majority of Covid vaccine side effects being minor and resolving within two to three days.

“While individuals respond differently to vaccination and side effects differ slightly among the vaccines, the most common side effects of the Covid-19 vaccines include headache, mild fever, chills, pain and/or redness at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea and mild diarrhoea.

“Serious adverse events following immunisation are very rarely caused by immunisation.”

The department emphasised that Covid vaccines remained very safe and highly effective at preventing hospitalisation and death if one is infected with the virus.

Vaccine adverse events can be reported using the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority’s Med Safety App or by completing a paper “case report form” on the National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ website.

The form should be returned by email to AEFI@health.gov.za. Alternatively, the Covid-19 public hotline can be contacted on 0800 0299 99.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

NOW READ: Women’s periods may temporarily be delayed after Covid-19 vaccine – study