Health Ministry Clears The Air: One Fainted, No Death In Covid Vaccine Overdose

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By Our Staff Writer

The Liberian Ministry of Health has clarified that one person fainted but didn’t die, after COVID-19 vaccine over dosage in Liberia, after being vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson and Johnson, despit earlier taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca, the Health Ministry has revealed.

Media reports had earlier said that the individual died, after Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah on Wednesday, August 11, 2020 told the state owned radio, ELBC that the person “passed off”.

Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis S. Kateh confirmed that a female fainted after taking J&J vaccine but she was stabilized by health workers after a while.

According to Dr. Kateh, the unidentified female was among those who earlier took the Autrazeneca vaccine.

Prior to the arrival of the J&J vaccine, the Ministry of Health warned the Public especially those who have taken the Autrazeneca vaccine not to take the J&J vaccine but they didn’t talked about the risk associated with taking the J&J when already vaccinated with Autrazeneca vaccine.

Dr. Kateh said, the incident occurred at one of the sites in Monrovia, but can’t disclosed the name of the site for security reasons.

The incident raises questions as to the kind of measures and database in place to verify whether those going for the J&J had not taken the AstraZeneca. A large number of persons who had taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca have told this news outlet that they are yet to get the slip/vaccine cards, indicating when they took it and the due date for their next jab.

Health authorities started administering the J&J vaccines, and as thousands of people who had earlier taken the AstraZeneca vaccine are still waiting the arrival in Liberia of the next batch of the jab to take their second dose.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Jallah has warned that “it is not advisable to take both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. If you have already taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca, please do not take the Johnson & Johnson”.

Dr.Jallah is pleading with those who have already taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca to exercise a little more patience, as the second dose would soon arrive in the country.

Liberians have in recent days being turning out in their numbers to take the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Health authorities recently reported that the outbreak of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has again increased in recent days, after cases had significantly declined. Garmah Never Lomo contributed to this report

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