Facts to know before getting AstraZeneca vaccines

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced that over 500,000 doses of  AstraZeneca vaccines were supposed to arrive on March 1 but it would be delayed.

This is the second vaccine to come to the country after China’s Sinovac vaccines arrived this Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was on January 28 when AstraZeneca’s vaccine against COVID-19 was given to emergency use authorization in the Philippines.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, its recommended administration is 2 doses, ranging from 4 to 12 weeks.

The vaccine was developed by the company in collaboration with Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

ADVERTISEMENT

The vaccine has been proven safe, with a 62 to 90 percent efficacy rate.

“‘Yong data naman ng AstraZeneca shows that it is very good in preventing severe COVID-19… kaya lang siyempre medyo maliit pa ang datos nila at maa-update pa yan as we get more data on the people included in the clinical trial,” said FDA Director General Eric Domingo.

The Philippines will allegedly follow the standard 2-dose protocol.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for people with comorbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and diabetes.

It is also possible for those who have recovered from COVID-19.

Its safety is still being studied in pregnant women but it can be given if there is a doctor’s clearance.

Facts to know before getting AstraZeneca vaccines

It is not recommended for those with allergic reactions to any of the vaccine components and should not be given to those aged 18 and under.

The efficacy rate of the AstraZeneca vaccine in symptomatic COVID-19 patients is 63.09 percent.

Its effectiveness in the United Kingdom variant is 74.6 percent.

The AstraZeneca study proved that the vaccine becomes more effective due to the longer interval of the second dose.

The side effects of the vaccine were said to be mild.

“Ang nakitang adverse effects niya are all very mild. Very similar to getting any flu injection, na karamihan ay pananakit sa lugar ng injection, konting sinat, konting sakit ng ulo that are all transient and easily managed,” said Domingo.

In a webinar on vaccines, Dr. Lulu Bravo of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination said that the negative effects of the vaccine include pain in the abdomen, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, and chills.

Severe side effects include anemia, inflammation, myelitis, and high fever.