AstraZeneca Records Most Side Effects In Botswana
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday November 9, 2021 06:00
The recorded side effects were much higher compared to other jabs used in the fight against COVID-19 in the country. Modise said the official figure of those who experienced side effects after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine stands at 767.
She revealed the statistics during the closing ceremony of World Medicines Safety Commemoration Week organised by BOMRA in collaboration with the Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Francistown. When presenting the Assessment, Evaluation, Feedback, and Intervention System (AEFIS) Botswana surveillance report on COVID-19 vaccines, Modise said nationally they have received 1,326 cases of people who experienced side effects after taking COVID-19 vaccines.
She highlighted that they recorded side effects from Sinovac (337), Pfizer (six) vaccines and others (216). Modise stated that even though AstraZeneca received the most reports (on side effects) locally, Pfizer accounts for the most side effect cases globally. “AEFIS cases are a reflection of reports that have been received and depend on how many people were vaccinated per COVID-19 vaccine and generally how people react to vaccines.
These are some of the factors that increase the number of reports per COVID-19 vaccine,' she added. AstraZeneca is one of the most widely used vaccines in the country.
She stated that internationally and locally a headache is the most common side effect after an individual has taken the COVID-19 vaccination. According to Modise, most of the COVID-19 vaccine side effects were reported by the youth followed by people above the age of 45 years. She pointed out that females reported more vaccine side effects. The pharmacovigilance officer said so far 1,390 health care professionals have been trained on investigation and reporting of AEIFs across all the districts in Botswana.
Earlier in his address director of pharmacovigilance and clinical trials at BOMRA, Dr Parthasarathi Gurumurthy stated that figures of those who have suffered complications after taking COVID-19 vaccines might not be accurate because they are underreported.