MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health on Saturday said that COVID-19 vaccine did not cause a stroke that an alleged 54-year-old male from Caloocan City experienced after getting inoculated.
In a statement, the health department said the Regional Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee did not find any correlation between the vaccine and the adverse effects on the said individual.
The DOH and the Food and Drug Administration acted upon the incident following a social media post claiming that the Caloocan City resident had suffered adverse effects from the vaccine.
“Upon receipt of the said report, the DOH immediately alerted the RAEFIC to conduct a causality assessment to determine if the vaccine had indeed caused the reaction,” said the DOH in a statement.
As per its findings, the COVID-19 vaccine did not cause the stroke, the adverse event is inconsistent with the causal association to the vaccine and it was coincidental to underlying or emerging conditions of the patient.
The DOH and FDA thus reminded personnel in vaccination sites to follow screening protocols in the assessment of potential vaccine recipients and also encouraged the public to fully disclose any underlying conditions before registering for the vaccine.
“The DOH and FDA strongly emphasize that vaccines are safe and effective in affording protection against COVID-19 and in preventing the severe form of COVID-19,” said the DOH.
“With the expansion of the national vaccination program to cover senior citizens and persons with comorbidities, the DOH and FDA likewise urge the public to avail of the free COVID-19 vaccines to acquire the protection it provides not only for yourselves, but also for your families.”