App for vaccine ill effects

SOUTH Africans are urged to report any side effects they may experience after receiving the Covid-19 jab on the Med Safety App (which can be downloaded from App Stores for Android and iOS phones), or by calling the Covid-19 hotline on 0800 029 999.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) which oversees vaccine safety monitoring, launched a micro-site on Friday, where more information on adverse events can be accessed.

According to Sahpra chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete, the aim of the website is to provide the information the regulator has to the public to inform them about vaccine safety and risks.

“People are hesitant about certain health products, such as the vaccines, when they do not have sufficient details and do not know enough,” Semete said.

The website has information about the number of people vaccinated, broken down by age, gender and province, as well as reported cases of side effects.

Semete said they had received 1 473 reports of adverse events following immunisation by July 31.

“These reports account for a 0.02% reporting rate. Mild and non-serious adverse events following immunisation are expected to resolve within a few days after vaccination and without any prolonged or persistent negative outcomes.”

In the case of a death that occurred after vaccination, the following information must be submitted, to facilitate a comprehensive causality assessment:

◆ An autopsy or post-mortem examination.

◆ Full clinical history, including any co-morbidities and allergies.

◆ Listing of all medicines taken prior to and at the time of the adverse event.

Meanwhile, infectious disease expert and former chairperson of the government’s ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, said the country could face a fourth wave of infections before the year ends.

Karim said the fourth wave could hit around December 2 and last for over two-and-a-half months.