Vaccine recipients to be pre-screened for comorbidities, allergies

Vaccine recipients will be pre-screened before receiving the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine when it arrives in Trinidad.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasramsaid the pre-screen is just a routine health check that will be used as a baseline to assess patients out of an abundance of caution, and does not necessarily mean patients will be turned away.

He was speaking during the Ministry of Health’s virtual press conference on Monday,

Parasram said the screening involves checking blood pressure, blood glucose level, pulse, and temperature.

“If you have extremely high sugar levels or extremely high blood pressure or any other condition that requires medical attention, you would be given that prior to being given your vaccine on top of it.”

Parasram said if someone presents with a fever, however, the vaccination will be deferred for a week or two until it has passed.

House officer at Augustus Long Hospital Dr Khadine Sooknanan was one of the frontline workers to receive the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines on February 19.

She said before being vaccinated, she completed the screening form, which required information on any comorbidities, allergies, and allergic reactions to vaccines received in the past. She said she and her co-workers were monitored for 30 minutes after the vaccination to ensure they did not have any adverse reactions.

She said they all experienced mild side effects, including fever, chills, and pain at the vaccination site, eight to ten hours after the vaccination. She said only a few experienced moderate symptoms, including muscular pain, fatigue, and headaches, but no one had any severe side effects.

“Vaccines protect us, and they protect the public," she said, Please don’t let rumours and myths prevent you from making an informed decision…We await the second dose on April 16.”