CNN – Doctors revealed that individuals who experience side effects including fever, fatigue and arm pain after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine should not panic as this could mean that the immune system is reacting as intended.
Side effects from Covid-19 vaccines won’t last long. They could actually prove that the immune system is working the way it’s supposed to, reported CNN on Thursday (Apr 15).
According to Dr Peter Hotez, who is a vaccinologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, the most common side effects of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine include arm soreness, body aches, fatigue and low-grade fever.
The medical professional added that he too “had shaking chills for a couple of hours” after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“And we know why this happens — because the vaccine is very potent in inducing an immune response. That’s one of the reasons why we’re getting such high levels of protection” against Covid-19,” he added.
In Singapore, Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong confirmed earlier this year that both the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Expert Committee on Covid-19 vaccination had studied the data from clinical trials and vaccination initiatives in other countries.
They have factored the issue of side effects into their evaluation before granting authorisation or making a recommendation on the use of Covid-19 vaccines, said Mr Gan.
“Based on data available today, people who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may experience side effects such as pain in the injection site, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, or headaches.
These are similar to the side effects for other established vaccines, and they usually resolve on their own in a few days,” he noted.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) update on Apr 6, about 1.67 million doses of vaccine have been administered, with around 536,000 receiving both doses, thus completing the full vaccination regimen.
Meanwhile, about 1.1 million individuals have gotten the first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine which are the two approved Covid-19 vaccines for use in the country./TISG
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