Filenews 6 May 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
Three reports of thrombosis in people vaccinated with coronavirus vaccines have also been recorded in Cyprus without, of course, being scientifically linked to the vaccination itself. Two of these relate to the AstraZeneca vaccine and the third to the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine. In total in Cyprus, after more than 300,000 vaccinations (with the first dose), there have been 149 reports of possible side effects and as Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services Elena Panagiotopoulou explained in a statement, "123 involved mild to moderate side effects and 26 serious, with 3 involving thrombosis, all treatable".
Vaccines protect enormously from the development of serious symptoms and death, and this seems to be demonstrated through the analysis of the data recorded daily in hospitals in Cyprus. However, the experience of the first almost six months, from the day of the start of the vaccination program in Cyprus, has shown that even people who have received both doses, of any available vaccine, can also become infected and transmit the virus and in some cases, be sick and admitted to a hospital.
The Ministry of Health yesterday published answers to questions that now seem to be answered from experience so far, stressing that the resulting data require continued compliance with protection measures, even after vaccination.
For the first time officially, the Pharmaceutical Services, leave open the possibility of a third, booster dose over a few months and underline that the duration of the duration of the vaccines has not yet been clarified.
According to the findings so far:
- Vaccines reduce the risk of developing symptoms and the risk of severe virus disease. This is very important, because at the same time the risk of hospitalizations, the risk of loss of life and the risk of long-term complications caused by the virus in some patients, such as complications from the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, are reduced.
- However, because no vaccine is 100% effective, a small percentage of fully vaccinated individuals may be infected with SARS-COV-2 and become infected with COVID-19 even after receiving all required doses of the vaccine.
- In addition, after administration of the 1st or 2nd dose of the vaccine it takes a few weeks for someone to develop immunity and be protected. This means that it is possible for a person to contract the coronavirus shortly before or shortly after receiving the vaccine and to become sick.
- For this reason, we must continue to respect social distancing measures and follow all preventive measures that have proven to be effective and keep us safe (use of masks, regular and meticulous hand hygiene, cleanliness of the place where we live or work).
In relation to the efficacy of vaccines and their duration:
- Based on the data available so far, we do not know the duration of protection offered by vaccines against coronavirus. The duration of protection provided by vaccination is expected to be longer than the natural immunity acquired after natural infection.
- People vaccinated in clinical trials will continue to be monitored in order to gather more information on the duration of protection and whether and when a booster dose will be needed. In addition, by vaccinating more people it is expected that we will have more data on the duration of protection offered by the vaccine.
For people infected with coronavirus:
- According to current recommendations, a person should be vaccinated regardless of whether he or she has already been infected with the coronavirus as they are likely to become infected again.
- Previous disease may offer some protection, known as natural immunity, which however does not appear to be enough to protect against a possible re-infection with the virus.
- Today's evidence suggests that re-infection with the virus is not common in the months after the initial infection, but may increase over time.
- Vaccination after COVID-19 disease is carried out within three (3) months after recovery and after at least 42 days have passed after recovery/negativity in diagnostic tests.
- In people who have been seriously ill and treated with specialized treatments it is recommended that vaccination be carried out after 90 days.
149 reports, 26 related to serious side effects
A total of 149 reports of possible adverse side effects following the administration of a vaccine against coronavirus were recorded in Cyprus, according to the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Elena Panagiotopoulou.
The 123 reports involved mild to moderate side effects, while 26 were more serious. In detail, "there were 75 reports of side effects from people treated with Pfizer, 71 from people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine and three from people who were given the Moderna vaccine.". However, as Mrs Panagiotopoulou pointed out, 'twice as many vaccines were administered by Pfizer as AstraZeneca'. Of the severe reports of side effects, 12 involved people receiving the Pfizer vaccine and 14 in the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The reported cases involved allergic reactions, facial paresis, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, as well as thrombosis, and as explained by the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services, "of the three reports concerning thrombosis, two concern people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine and one person who received the Pfizer vaccine, all of which were treatable". He stressed, however, that 'these are references', since their link to vaccination has not been established. Mrs Panagiotopoulou said in conclusion that "there were also malicious reports, i.e. people who reported side effects on purpose".
Missed actions
> Some mild side effects, which may occur after vaccination, are indications that the body is developing immunity.
> Any side effects usually occur in the first few days after receiving the vaccine. Most are mild or moderate in intensity and subside within a few days.
> Serious side effects that could cause long-term health problems are highly unlikely.
> Vaccine monitoring has historically shown that side effects generally occur within six (6) weeks of receiving the vaccine dose.
As the Ministry of Health pointed out in its communication, "serious 26 reports were recorded in proportion to < 1/10,000 vaccinations".
