All COVID-19 vaccinated people in Vietnam are in stable health condition
	Over 5,000 Vietnamese front-liners vaccinated against COVID-19
	Vietnam Airlines offers free COVID-19 vaccine transportation

A vial containing a Covid-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca is ready for use in Gia Lai Province in Vietnam's Central Highlands. (Photo: VNE)

“There’s always a certain chance of side effects following injection. The rate in Vietnam is within the expected level as determined by vaccine producers, World Health Organization and other relevant entities”, Dang Duc Anh, director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said on Monday.

He stated that globally around 26 percent of COVID-19 vaccinated individuals experience normal side effects, 0.7 percent would display severe reactions. In Vietnam, the latter registers 0.1 percent – the rate recorded 8 days into the AstraZeneca campaign which is rolling out in 12 provinces and cities, as reported by VNE.

Among over 16,000 front liners already receiving the first dose, medical authorities confirm 11 recipients developing severe side effects (high fever, increased blood pressure) after the AstraZeneca shot. All had had their overall health checked prior to vaccination, no underlying disease reported and are in stable health condition now.

The Ministry of Health has established specialized committees to investigate the causes of these severe anaphylaxis. The ministry also asked localities to continue to monitor and evaluate the post-injection response status.

According to the World Health Organization’s recommendations (WHO), about 1-10 percent of people vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine develop “common reaction”, including swelling and redness at the injection site; more than 10 percent have a “very common reaction” including headache, nausea, muscle pain, joint pain, itching, fatigue, restlessness, low-grade fever, chills, pain, and heat at the injection site.

Serious reactions such as grade 3 anaphylaxis, late hypersensitivity reactions are yet to be fully-reported by WHO.

None have experienced blood clots after vaccination, a problem that has prompted at least 10 countries.

(Photo: Tien Phong)

(Photo: Vietnam Plus)

“Vietnam would continue to implement the vaccination program as planned. Recipients would have their health closely monitored after the injection”, Professor Dang Duc Anh, Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), Head of the Steering Committee of the Expanded Immunization Project, was quoted by VNE as saying March 12 morning.

The blood clots complication post AstraZeneca injection have reported in several countries in Europe. Following the incident, 9 European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Iceland on March 11, 12 announced to suspend or ban AstraZeneca's vaccine in their COVID-19 inoculation programs. Local authorities are investigating the new dangerous complication.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), however, advocates the use of the UK’s candidate. It said there are just 30 cases displaying blood clots out of over 5 million vaccinated individuals in Europe. Scientists are currently scrutinizing every report of side-effects post AstraZeneca inoculation.

The UK-developed vaccine has been used in 25 nations across the world, including Vietnam. So far, statistics said the most common reactions after getting the vaccine, accounting for over 10 percent, are headache, nausea, muscle pain, joint pain, tenderness, fatigue, restlessness, fever, chills, etc. Less than 10 percent develop redness and swelling at the injection site. Reports from 4 clinical trials with nearly 24,000 volunteers show these symptoms would disappear within 7 days. Such reactions after the second dose are at a much lower rate than the first one.

AstraZeneca and European Medicines Agency have said there has been no evidence to prove the vaccine caused blood clots, and stressed its benefits far outweigh the risk of contracting Covid-19.

Vietnam will take initiative in COVID-19 vaccine availability With two promising homegrown COVID-19 vaccine candidates, Vietnam is expecting vaccine availability in late 2021, early 2022.

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