PUTRAJAYA: The assessment of the Covid-19 Vaccine Pharmacovigilance Special Committee (JFK) on 460 reports of adverse effects of immunisation (AEFI) found that none of the reported deaths were directly related to the vaccine received.

National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) director Dr Roshayati Mohamad Sani said these findings were part of a total of 610 serious AEFI reports involving deaths among Covid-19 vaccine recipients, which required a complete investigation and detailed assessment, linking to the vaccine.

“A total of 150 reports are still in the process of investigation before being evaluated by JFK,” she said in a statement on the status of the AEFI reports on the vaccine until April 8.

Dr Roshayati said the NPRA in total received 26,071 AEFI reports including 1,552 reports involving booster dose recipients and 288 reports involving vaccine recipients of children aged five to 11.

Of the 1,552 reports involving booster dose recipients, 137 reports or 9% of the total AEFI reports of booster doses were classified as serious, she said.

As of April 8, a total of 69,116,358 vaccine doses had been administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) of which 15,888,555 doses were booster shots.

Dr Roshayati said NPRA also received 57 AEFI reports involving deaths among booster dose recipients, and JFK showed 25 reports of deaths showing no connection with the vaccine received after investigations.

“The investigation process for 32 reports has not been completed for JFK assessment,” she said.

With regard to the effects of AEFI on children aged five to 11, she said a total of 288 reports were received with 94% of them displaying non-serious symptoms such as fever, skin rashes, stress response to the immunisation process, dizziness and headaches.

According to her, there was one case involving a death that took place outside of a health facility who was

brought in dead (BID), which is still under further investigation, and initial reports found that the child had a pre-existing illness. – Bernama