MANILA, Philippines — At least 20 individuals have experienced “minor and common” adverse effects after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech as of Tuesday morning, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
“As of 9:00 this morning, we had a total of 20 adverse events following immunization dito po sa iba’t ibang hospital na nagsagawa ng bakunahan,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the Laging Handa briefing.
(As of 9:00 this morning, we had a total of 20 adverse events following immunization in different hospitals that conducted the vaccination.)
“Among the 20 individuals, ito po ay mga minor and common na sintomas pagkatapos ng pagkakainiksyon,” she added.
(The 20 individuals experienced minor and common symptoms after being vaccinated.)
According to Vergeire, among the adverse effects experienced by the vaccinees are pain in their arm, rashes, being nauseous, and increase in blood pressure.
She added that all of them were not admitted in hospitals and were later sent home.
Earlier in the day, Vergeire said 13 people who received the vaccines from Sinovac Biotech experienced negative effects during the first day of the government’s immunization program on Monday.
The Philippines received on Sunday China’s donation of 600,000 doses of Sinovac’s vaccine called CoronaVac, which were later delivered to select hospitals in Metro Manila.
The first day of the simultaneous and “symbolic” roll-out of the vaccines were held at the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center and Sanitarium (Tala), Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, and Victoriano Luna Medical Center.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said that a total of 756 individuals, mostly health workers, were inoculated during the kick-off of the country’s inoculation drive in the said hospitals. — Liezelle Soriano Roy, Trainee