March 13, 2021
No one in Barbados who received the Covishield Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has had any adverse reactions, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said Friday, as he sought to assure the jab’s safety after a specific batch of the vaccine was held back in some European Union nations based on unconfirmed reports of blood clotting.
CMO Dr Kenneth George said that those who received the India-made vaccine which was donated by the Indian government, have reported only mild side effects, including soreness and redness at the site, while younger people reported feeling unwell for between 24 and 48 hours after the inoculation.
As of 9th March, over 268 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since the start of the pandemic, according to data reported to WHO by national governments
European Union regulator adds allergic reactions to list of AstraZeneca s vaccine possible side effects
From CNN s Antonia Mortensen, Schams Elwazer and Arnaud Siad
Boxes containing doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine are pictured inside a refrigerator in Bari, Italy, on March 9. Donato Fasano/Getty Images
The EU’s drugs regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), said Friday it was adding severe allergic reactions to the list of possible side effects from the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
The agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) “has recommended an update to the product information to include anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity (allergic reactions) as side effects,” the EMA said in a statement.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its guidance for childcare programs during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of mask-wearing for everyone 2 years of age and older, as well as air ventilation and other strategies.