High fever, headache and body aches. More than a hundred French caregivers have reported these side effects after receiving their first injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Harmless long-term consequences, short-lived, but which can knock you out.
The Medicines Agency (ANSM) received 149 reports of this type, between February 6 (start date of the campaign with the AstraZeneca vaccine) and February 10. These “flu-like symptoms often of high intensity (high fever, body aches or headaches)” have been “reported in health professionals of an average age of 34 years”, explains the agency.
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“Significant but short-lived influenza state”
These adverse events remain in the minority out of the 10,000 or so injections carried out over the same period. They are known and described with vaccines. However, they are subject to increased vigilance. It is not so much their nature that worries the ANSM, as their consequences on the organization of care, in the event of sick leave of the teams following the injection. “In this context, in order to limit the potential risk of disrupting the functioning of care services, it is recommended to vaccinate the staff of the same service on a staggered basis,” notes the ANSM.
In Brest, after suspending vaccinations on Thursday following numerous reports, the hospital will resume the campaign by rescheduling the appointments.
“All the agents in the target services were vaccinated at the same time… so a lot of side effects and work stoppages (up to 30%). However, there would be no serious side effects. The flu condition is important but of short duration ”, specified Thomas Bourhis, secretary general CGT of the CHRU to our colleagues of West France. The ANSM also points to a signal to be monitored on another vaccine, that of Pfizer. Since the start of vaccination, 73 cases of arterial hypertension have been identified. These reports are ultra-minority (to date nearly 2,840,000 vaccinations have been carried out). This information “does not call into question the safety of the Comirnaty vaccine (the name of the Pfizer vaccine), but constitutes a signal that must be monitored”, according to the ANSM, which transmitted its data to the European Medicines Agency .
If you have a symptom suggestive of arterial hypertension (malaise, headache, dizziness, etc.) after having been vaccinated, the Agency recommends checking your blood pressure. To avoid any risk, and to be able to be taken care of quickly in the event of a problem.
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