Vaccines against Covid-19 are safe and effective. They strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk that people have moderate and severe symptoms that require hospitalization and death as a result of complications from the disease reiterated the Ministry of Health (Minsa) on Sunday, November 21.

The benefits of the vaccine are much more than the risks, as evidenced by the reports from the Minsa directorates involved in the management of the pandemic, the Ministry said.

According to the Minsa, in Panama, 90% of the people who have died from Covid-19 - since last January when the immunization process began - did not have the complete vaccination scheme, 81% did not have any dose, and 9% only had one dose.

However, Minsa emphasized that, like any biological medicine, vaccines are not exempt from manifestations of adverse reactions after their application. It urged that suspected adverse reactions be reported to the pharmacovigilance systems of the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Minsa.

Suspected adverse drug reactions related to vaccines are known as Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination or Immunization (ESAVI).

In Panama, the ESAVIs most reported in vaccinated persons are headache, fever, dizziness, asthenia, rash, local reaction, pain in the vaccination area, allergic reaction to a vaccine, chills, myalgia.

The National Center for Pharmacovigilance has received five reports of deaths after the administration of the vaccine. However, the review of reporting patterns and individual reports suggest that the deaths are not attributable to the vaccine, Minsa said in the statement.

Since January 20 a total of 5,958,717 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been applied in the country, revealed on Saturday, November 20, the Expanded Program of Immunization.

The Ministry reiterated that the mandatory use of the mask will be maintained throughout the. The entity urged the population to continue with the other biosafety measures for - hand washing and physical distancing.