CMO: Safe to give blood during pandemic

PEOPLE can still safely donate blood during the covid19 pandemic.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram gave this assurance during the virtual health news conference on Wednesday.

In response to an online question, Parsaram said, "We want to underscore the importance of continuing to donate blood."

He explained, "It is important, especially during any pandemic, that we have enough supplies of blood."

To this end, Parasram said all the Health Ministry's blood donation sites remain open. He also said that in the coming weeks, the ministry's mobile clinic will be out in the field doing additional blood drives.

On potential side effects of covid19 vaccines, Parasram said pain at the injection site and a feeling of lethargy "for a day or two" are common side effects with these and other vaccines.

With specific reference to the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162 vaccine, he said people with severe allergies should not take this vaccine.