432 'adverse event reports' received among more than 113,000 people vaccinated: MOH

[SINGAPORE] Among more than 113,000 people who took the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 432 "adverse event reports" have been received by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) from healthcare professionals as of Wednesday (Jan 27), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In a statement on Thursday (Jan 28) evening, MOH said that most of such reports were for symptoms generally associated with all vaccinations and mostly resolved on their own within a few days.

These include: injection site pain and swelling, fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, giddiness, nausea and allergic reactions such as itch, rash, swelling of eyes or lip.

Three reported cases of anaphylaxis, or rapid onset of severe allergic reactions, have all recovered and were discharged from the hospital after a day's observation or treatment, said MOH.

The three people, who are in their 20s and 30s, developed multiple symptoms such as rash, breathlessness, lip swelling, throat tightness and giddiness.

All three had a history of allergies, including allergic rhinitis and food allergy such as to shellfish, but none had a history of anaphylaxis which would have precluded them from receiving the vaccine, said MOH. "As all vaccinated persons in Singapore are closely monitored, the symptoms in these three individuals were promptly detected and treated," it added.

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MOH said that the incidence rate of anaphylaxis in Singapore stands at about 2.7 per 100,000 doses administered.

This is compared a rate of around one to two per 100,000 doses administered abroad, over millions of vaccine doses. "Variations in the incidence rate are to be expected initially as the numbers vaccinated in Singapore to-date are relatively small." More than 113,000 individuals have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with more than 50 individuals having also received their second dose of the vaccine and completed the full vaccination regimen. "These numbers are expected to rise substantially in the coming weeks as we continue to ramp up our vaccination operations safely," said MOH.

To provide financial assistance for those with serious side effects, MOH also released details of a vaccine injury financial assistance programme for Covid-19 vaccination.

The programme will include a one-time pay-out of up to S$10,000 to an eligible individual who is hospitalised but subsequently recovers from medically significant serious side effects.

It will also provide a one-time pay-out of S$225,000 will be provided to an individual who dies or suffers permanent severe disability as a result of Covid-19 vaccination.

Individuals must be a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or long-term pass holder who has received the Covid-19 vaccination in Singapore to qualify for the programme.

They must also have experienced a serious side effect that is potentially life-threatening or fatal, and has required inpatient hospitalisation or has caused persistent incapacity or disability.

The serious side effects will be assessed by a doctor to be linked to the individual's Covid-19 vaccination, said MOH. "As the severity of serious side effects can be broad, and assessment by the treating doctors may vary, MOH has appointed an independent clinical panel comprising experts in relevant fields such as neurology, immunology and infectious diseases, to assess and adjudicate (the programme's) applications." In Thursday's update, MOH also said that more vaccination centres will be set up over the next few weeks, to be located in high population catchment areas or along major public transport routes for greater accessibility.

In total, there will be around 40 vaccination centres, with each vaccination centre planned for an estimated capacity of 2,000 vaccinations per day.

A new vaccination centre at Tanjong Pagar Community Centre will be set up from Jan 27, while another at Teck Ghee Community Centre will also be operational from Feb 1, to support vaccination for seniors.

Besides the vaccination centres, the polyclinics and selected Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) will also serve as vaccination sites, said MOH.

Currently, seniors can already be vaccinated at nine polyclinics and 21 PHPCs. By Feb 1, all 20 polyclinics across Singapore will begin offering Covid-19 vaccinations. These areas will be wheelchair-accessible.

Mobile vaccination teams will be set up to deliver the vaccines to seniors with mobility issues who find it challenging to visit a vaccination site, said MOH.

As of Wednesday (Jan 27), the ministry has sent letters to more than 10,000 seniors in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar, and more than one third of them have booked their appointments within two days of receiving the invitation.

The remaining seniors in these areas will receive their invitation letters in the coming week.

Personalised letters inviting seniors to sign up for their vaccination will be progressively sent out to all seniors across Singapore starting from mid-February.

THE STRAITS TIMES