Robredo feels no side effects from vaccine jab, but says it varies among individuals
Vice President Leni Robredo gets the first dose of her AstraZeneca vaccine jab. Image from Facebook/Vice President Leni Robredo
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo said she has not experienced any of the expected side effects after getting vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, but that it varies among individuals.
In a Facebook post, Robredo said on Thursday that she was expecting to feel the effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, which prompted her to go keep medicines and other items that could help with chills and fever beside her.
However, she experienced none of the symptoms like chills and fever, or body pain occurred, except that she was feeling “a little sleepy.”
“It’s been 24 hours since I received my first dose. Yesterday, after my innoculation, I still had one speaking event from 5-6.30pm. I was a little sleepy before my speaking part but the Q&A made me forget about the sleepiness,” Robredo said.
POST VACCINATION UPDATE:It’s been 24 hours since I received my first dose. Yesterday, after my innoculation, I still…
Posted by Leni Gerona Robredo on Wednesday, May 19, 2021
“I went to my room earlier than usual and made sure everything was within arm’s reach just in case – medicines, sweater, socks, extra blanket, 2 jugs of water. I was expecting the chills and body pains to come anytime, but none came. Because I couldn’t sleep yet, I went on duty for a while and monitored our Bayanihan E-Konsulta threads,” she added.
Robredo along with other Office of the Vice President (OVP) staffers with co-morbities got their AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday, at the Pinyahan Elementary School in Quezon City.
The Vice President previously disclosed that she was dealing with hypertension.
According to Robredo, she still didn’t have any side effects early Thursday. Still, she reminded the public that the vaccines’ side effects may vary from one person to another, as some of the OVP staffers who got their vaccines have felt it.
“Finally went to sleep about 2am and I woke up at 7am this morning – no chills, no fever. Even my left arm didn’t feel heavy,” she explained.
“I started texting our staff to check on them. Everyone who was with me yesterday was reporting fever, chills, body pains in varying degrees. So I guess, the side effects being experienced vary from person to person,” she added.
The country is banking on COVID-19 vaccinations to achieve herd immunity by the end of the year, in an effort to revive the ailing economy. However, vaccine confidence among Filipinos is still low: last March, a survey from Pulse Asia revealed that 61 percent of respondents did not want to get vaccines.
The top reason for people’s hesitancy, the survey said, was concerns over safety of the vials.
READ: 61% of Pinoys say no to vaccines; safety concerns cited top reason — Pulse Asia
Robredo’s vaccination is seen as a move that would boost public confidence over the vials, as it would set an example among those who doubt vaccine safety.
The vaccines are also seen to help the Philippines deal with the after-effects of a COVID-19 surge that forced the national government to place Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal were placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Eventually, after the COVID-19 cases waned down early March, the national government downgraded the quarantine status to a GCQ.
On Thursday, the country’s active COVID-19 case tally increased to over 51.000 due to 6,100 new infections.
