The Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) issued an update on the 22nd of April 2021 in which they confirmed that up to the 15th of April 2021 they had received 6,616 reports of suspected side effects in association with Covid-19 vaccines.
Commenting on the latest HPRA safety update Liam Solicitor, who advises on vaccine injuries, said today “the public health benefits of vaccination are clear. Vaccines are safe and are one of the best ways to protect against potentially harmful diseases such as Covid-19. Nearly all individuals who are vaccinated have no serious reactions. However, vaccines are not completely without risk and it is commonly accepted that regardless of proper design, manufacture and delivery, adverse events can occur following vaccination although serious events are rare”.
Mr Moloney continued “It is to be welcomed that the Irish Government have indicated that they are considering setting up a Vaccine Compensation Scheme to cover the rare injuries caused by all vaccines, not just Covid-19. Details of this scheme are currently being worked on between the Departments of Justice and Health”.
Some of the suspected side effects notified to them were as follows:
MRNA Vaccines
Some of the reports described the following side effects:
- Chills, fever, tiredness
- Dizziness, headaches
- Muscle pain, pain (non-specific)
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain,
- Fainting (syncope)
- migraines, numbness, tingling, pins and needles and tiredness,
- back pain, chest discomfort, and decreased appetite.
AstraZeneca
There were reports of fever, tiredness, dizziness, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, nausea, fainting, migraines, numbness, and other side effects.
Mr Moloney added “the HPRA has confirmed that the above reports were consistent with the types of events typically observed following vaccination including those described in the product information for the individual vaccines. The majority thankfully were mild to moderate in nature and had resolved at the time the reports were made.
There were also reports of blood clots in combination with a low level of blood platelets following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Product information for AstraZeneca was recently updated to list blood clots that occur in combination with a low level of blood platelets (cells that help the blood to clot) as a very rare but possible side effect.”
Mr Moloney continued “the HPRA also received a number of reports of allergic-type reactions associated with AstraZeneca which mainly described symptoms such as itchiness, hives and rashes. In a minority of cases, medical treatment and/or clinical observation of the individual was needed. The authority continues to closely monitor for reports of anaphylaxis, which is a serious allergic reaction. Thankfully, in all cases, the individuals concerned were reported to have recovered.”
The HPRA has also again reiterated the fact that Covid-19 vaccines should be administered under close supervision with appropriate medical treatment available in case of such a reaction.
Liam Moloney Solicitor
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*This article is a legal commentary on a recent publication by the HPRA of reported side effects from Covid-19 vaccines and is not written by our firm for the purposes of promoting the taking of litigation claims.
