CAPE TOWN : “I have had Covid and I have had the vaccine and in my personal experience the symptoms of Covid were far worse than the vaccine,” reads a social media post from a health-care worker.
“Panado did wonders in helping the side effects of the vaccine and within a day I was back to my old self. Covid left me out of action for about a week… I think I was one of the lucky ones to have made full recovery after Covid. That was just my experience.”
Although the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) says there are very few health-care workers who have reacted badly to the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine, there is a growing number of health-care workers who are using social media to share their experiences of side effects of the J&J vaccine.
One of the platforms is the Facebook group, Nurses who Care:
“I regret taking the vaccine as I ended up with Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), my blood sugar levels was always stable even up to 2 weeks before the vaccine. Even my Blood Pressure raised above normal which is unusual, tiredness, exhaustion and shortness of breath with backache,” said one member of the group.“
While another member said: “I have been suffering from headaches ever since I received the vaccine a week ago, ended up in the emergency department and was referred to see a neurologist.”
“I had side effects for a week. I got medical care. It was my body's inflammatory response which is good because it means I am producing antibodies. I reported it on the Sisonke website and they did follow up with me afterwards. I am very impressed,” remarked yet another health-care worker.
Sisonke safety physician and medical monitor Dr Simbarashe Takuva said more than 3 000 adverse events had been reported. Only 160 000 health-care workers had been vaccinated with the J&Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, 13% of the targeted 1.25 million people by the end of first quarter.
Meanwhile, schools were closed in Concord and Hopkinton, Massachusetts, on Monday after many employees called in sick, citing vaccine side effects.
Those who were vaccinated on Sunday, as part as of the newest phase of New Hampshire’s inoculation plan which prioritises school staff, received the single-dose J&J vaccine.