Covid vaccine hesitancy not backed by side effect stats, doctors say

Doctors say older people are displaying a worrying degree of vaccine hesitancy – despite the statistics – as they explain what side effects to expect.

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is safe, medical chiefs say, as figures show only a tiny proportion of jab recipients have suffered minor side effects.

Federal data shows SA Health reported almost 1600 “adverse” side effects to Commonwealth authorities from nearly 306,000 jabs since the vaccination program launched in March up to the end of May.

The figures, released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the federal medical regulator, is equivalent to five people from every 1000 coronavirus jab patients suffering negative side effects.

South Australia has consistently ranked mid-table among states and territories for per capita rates of adverse effects.

SA deputy chief medical officer DR Emily Kirkpatrick. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The state’s rollout, which has come under fire for being sluggish for months, has surged in the past week, including two days of about 9500 jabs after Adelaide’s third mass vaccination hub opened on Monday.

Commonwealth data shows almost 22 in every 100 SA adults have had at least a first dose, up from last week’s 18.6.

But fewer than one in five recipients have had their second jab.

SA Health is preparing to widen the rollout to adults aged 40-49 this week.

SA emergency department nurse Emily Hooper gets her Pfizer vaccination from Nurse Unit Manager Maryanne Attard in March. Picture: Mike Burton

Deputy chief public health officer Emily Kirkpatrick urged people to keep getting vaccinated as the rollout was safe.

She said SA Health reported all incidents to help “assist in the TGA’s ongoing monitoring of the safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine”.

“Australia’s vaccine safety and regulatory process is world class and people can be confident that vaccines approved for use are safe and effective,” she said.

“The vaccine is one of the most important tools to protect our community and to maintain the freedoms we all experience in South Australia.

“All vaccines can have side effects and most of them are mild to moderate in nature and resolve within a few days.

“Speak to your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about side effects.”

Authorities say the vast majority of side effects were similar to common ones associated with other vaccines.

The most frequently reported suspected side effects are headaches, joint or muscle pain, fever, chills, pain at the site of injection, fatigue, lethargy, nausea and dizziness.

The TGA says one-fifth of side effects are more serious, and although rare, can cause major injury or death.

These include bloods clots, anaphylaxis, seizures, acute cardiac injuries, heart failure and cardiogenic shock, arrhythmia and paralysis.

Experts say side effects do not indicate that there is a anything wrong with any particular batch of vaccine.

Dr Kirkpatrick said the TGA shared all its findings on vaccine safety with international regulators.

“If they detect a safety concern, they will take immediate action to address it and provide information to the public,” she said.

GPs and other medical experts have reported widespread hesitancy, particularly in patients older than 50 who are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine that has been linked to blood clotting.

Federal government medical advice recommends the Pfizer jab for those aged up to 49.

Last month a SA man, 53, became the first blood clot case in the state linked to the AstraZeneca jab.

He was in Calvary Hospital’s intensive care unit in the city.

His family have declined to comment.

Another two “probable cases” involve an 87-year-old woman reported last month and a man, 72.

A TGA spokeswoman said adverse reporting was the first step in determining “whether a significant safety issue is involved”.

Originally published as Covid vaccine hesitancy not backed by side effect stats, doctors say