The condition of nine healthcare workers who developed mild Adverse Effects Following Immunization (AEFI) on Saturday is stable and all of them, according to health department officials, are doing “fine” as on Sunday.
Out of the 1,802 beneficiaries who got vaccinated on Saturday, nine reported minor adverse effects during inoculation programme. Eight out of nine from Pimpri-Chinchwad area developed mild adverse reaction while another healthcare worker from Wagholi in Pune district showed similar symptoms. Almost 24-hours later, all of them are reported to be stable, said officials.
According to Dr Pawan Salve, additional health chief, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC), all of the eight beneficiaries from PCMC who reported mild adverse effects post-immunization are now stable. “None of them required any admission or medication post the effect. They were just minor symptoms,” he said.
The district health department official said, one healthcare worker from Wagholi is also doing fine. The PMC did not report any incident of AEFI.
The eight AEFI incidents reported were Jijamata hospital (1), Akurdi Hospital (2), Sangavi Hospital (3), Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial hospital (2) while one was reported from Pune’s rural primary health centre at Wagholi.
{{/usCountry}}The eight AEFI incidents reported were Jijamata hospital (1), Akurdi Hospital (2), Sangavi Hospital (3), Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial hospital (2) while one was reported from Pune’s rural primary health centre at Wagholi.
{{/usCountry}}All these were minor effects and the beneficiaries had multiple factors to contribute to the effects said doctors at the site including fasting, psychological anxiety over-vaccination and others.
Ayush Prasad, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said, “The one incident reported was of a nurse who reportedly did not have proper food even after her night shift and she was overwhelmed by the vaccination process. The doctors at the centre immediately checked her and confirmed that it was entirely a psychological experience. She was reported to be healthy and back to normal.”
Salve said, “All of them were just minor incidents complaining of fever, body ache or headache. We have not reported any follow-up as of yet since it was a Sunday. I cannot speak for others, but we have reported every minor incident reported at our hospital.”
As per the central health ministry, both vaccines could have reported minor to severe adverse effects. The letter issued by National health mission additional secretary Dr Manohar Agnani issued to state immunization officers and mission directors. The letter states minor adverse effects for both the vaccines, Covisheild and Covaxin as injection site tenderness, injection site pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills, arthralgia, nausea, fever, body ache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness- giddiness, tremor, sweating, cold-cough and injection site swelling for both the approved vaccine doses, Covisheild and Covaxin.
For purposes of reporting, AEFIs has been classified as minor, severe and serious. Severe AEFI includes those that can be disabling and rarely life-threatening; do not lead to long-term problems. Examples of severe reactions include non-hospitalized cases of anaphylaxis that has recovered, high fever (>102 degrees F). While serious AEFI results in death, requires inpatient hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability and AEFI cluster which evokes significant parental/community concern.