News

New guidance to spot COVID symptoms

April 11, 2021 12:37 pm

The Health Ministry is developing new clinician guidance and standard operating procedures to manage the rare but serious risk associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This will accompany the Ministry’s ongoing administration of the vaccine to frontline workers and vulnerable members of the public.

In line with the most recent evidence, the Ministry is recommending that individuals who have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine take the second dose.

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Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says one in 250,000 people will face symptoms after getting vaccinated and no matter how small it may be, it is very important for the Ministry to manage it.

The symptoms of the rare side effect can occur from four to 28 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine and are more severe than the mild symptoms of fever, chills, and headache that are expected within two days of the first dosage.

Bainimarama says the new guidance will aid healthcare professionals in identifying the symptoms of the rare side effect and allow the public to access a dedicated line to report severe symptoms.

“The benefits of protections these vaccines provide are still proven to outweigh the risk by a large margin as we should all know by now COVID is a much more serious threat. That is why we must take advantage of the great protection provided by this miracle of modern medicine. Some people have asked me why they need to be registered. It’s because they need to make sure you get your second dose on time.”

Bainimarama who got the COVID jab last week says it is a big relief to see that Fiji is on its way to being protected from the killer virus.

He says we should be proud that we are moving towards getting our borders safely open and on the road to recovery.

Bainimarama is calling all Fijians 18 years and above to register online on https://vra.digitalfiji.gov.fj/ and get vaccinated.