No deaths linked to vaccine: Report

PUTRAJAYA: The assessment of the Covid-19 Vaccine Pharmacovigilance Special Committee on 460 reports of adverse effects of immunisation (AEFI) found that none of the reported deaths were directly related to the vaccine received.

National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) director Dr Roshayati Mohamad Sani said the findings were part of a total of 610 AEFI reports involving deaths among Covid-19 vaccine recipients, which required complete investigation and detailed assessment.

“A total of 150 reports are still being investigated before being evaluated by the committee,” she said in a statement yesterday on the status of the AEFI reports on the Covid-19 vaccine as of April 8.

Roshayati said NPRA recieved in total 26,071 AEFI reports, including 1,552 involving booster recipients and 288 involving vaccine recipients of children aged five to 11.

Of the 1,552 reports involving booster recipients, 137 or 9% were classified as serious, she said.

As of April 8, a total of 69,116,358 vaccine doses have been administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, of which 15,888,555 were booster shots.

Roshayati said NPRA also received 57 AEFI reports involving deaths among booster dose recipients, and investigations done by the committee showed that 25 reports of deaths had no connection with the vaccine received.

“The investigation process for 32 reports has not been completed for assessment,” she said.

In regard to the effects of AEFI on children aged five to 11, she said a total of 288 reports were received, with 94% displaying non-serious symptoms such as fever, skin rashes, stress response to the immunisation process, dizziness and headaches.

Roshayati said there was one brought-indead case, which was still under investigation. Initial reports found that the child had a pre-existing illness. – Bernama