No AEFI incidents reported during Covid-19 vaccination for past five days in Pune district

The district administration has been reporting zero adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) incidents post Covid-19 vaccination among beneficiaries since the past five days

The district administration has been reporting zero adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) incidents post Covid-19 vaccination among beneficiaries since the past five days.

According to the data from the Pune district health office, since January 16 when the first Covid-19 vaccination drive was started, a total of 280 AEFI incidents were reported of which one was serious and required hospitalisation and was reported from Pune rural. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

On the first day, the district reported over 100 AEFI incidents, however, following that the district administration has been extra cautious and stopped reporting any AEFI incidents even minor incidents.

The district administration is now following protocols issued by the central administration and has not reported any such incidents. A total of 43,840 beneficiaries have been vaccinated until February 6 in the district.

Dr Bhagwan Pawar, “On the first day we reported over 300 AEFI incidents which were then corrected and rectified and we found only 74 genuine reactions. Since it was the first day, beneficiaries reported every minor effect but now no such incidents are being reported. “

According to the data from the Pune district health office, since January 16 when the first Covid-19 vaccination drive was started, a total of 280 AEFI incidents were reported of which one was serious and required hospitalisation and was reported from Pune rural.

Of the 279, 74 were from Pune rural, 11 from PMC and 205 from PCMC.

While AEFI is a natural reaction of the body against foreign bodies being injected, the district administration has reported no reactions from anyone in the past few days. Earlier the administration followed up on the beneficiaries through phone calls but it has now restricted itself to the first 30 minutes post immunisation.

As per the central health ministry, both vaccines, Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin could have minor to severe adverse effects. Minor adverse effects include injection site tenderness and pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia (muscle pain), malaise, pyrexia (feverish), chills, arthralgia (pain in a joint), nausea, fever, body ache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness- giddiness, tremor, sweating, cold-cough and injection site swelling.

For purposes of reporting, adverse event following immunization (AEFI) 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. While serious AEFI results in death, requires inpatient hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability.