No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaHealth Ministry details Costa Rica vaccine side effects

Health Ministry details Costa Rica vaccine side effects

The Health Ministry says 0.2% of Costa Ricans who received a Covid-19 vaccine reported symptoms that may have been attributed to the shot.

Headache, localized pain, muscle aches and a low-grade fever are the most common side effects reported after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine in Costa Rica.

Since December 24 through September 3, the country’s National Pharmacovigilance Commission has received 7,710 “Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination and Immunization” (ESAVI) related to the Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines.

An ESAVI is defined as “any unfavorable, unintended health situation that occurs after vaccination/immunization but that does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccination process or with the vaccine.”

Of the ESAVIs, Costa Rican health authorities report 44 serious events, 38 of which occurred after receiving a Pfizer dose. These include 19 people who died in the days or weeks after receiving the vaccine.

The Health Ministry details the deaths as follows:

  • Nine cases were evaluated as “unlikely,” meaning they “do not meet the criteria to establish a causal relationship” with a vaccine.
  • Seven cases were determined as having a “conditional” tie to the vaccine. This means that while the factors that caused the death have not been firmly established, the vaccine is not known to have been a factor.
  • Three cases were classified as “possible,” meaning the death may have been due to other factors.

Of the remaining special-interest events, the Health Ministry detailed them as follows:

  • Fourteen “probable” events, given the potential relationship between the symptom and the administration of the vaccine.
  • Seven “possible” cases, since the symptoms may be due to other preexisting factors.
  • Four “conditional” cases, meaning pathologies presented by the patient could have triggered the condition.

Individuals can report adverse events that may be attributed to a Covid-19 vaccine to the health center at which they received the shot, or at www.notificacentroamerica.net

Costa Rica has administered more than 5.75 million doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. More than 6,600 people in Costa Rica have died related to Covid-19.

Who can get vaccinated in Costa Rica?

All citizens and residents who are adults (18+) or who are teenagers (12+) with risk factors are eligible for the vaccine.

Documented migrants are also eligible. Undocumented migrants (e.g. perpetual tourists) who are 18 or older can receive a vaccine at CCSS facilities through Thursday of this week.

Click here for a list of Covid-19 vaccination sites in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Both comprise two doses. Immunosuppressed individuals will receive a booster (third) dose in 2022.

Trending Now

A Closer Look at the Elusive Purple Gallinule in Costa Rica

Quick! Think of a purple bird! It’s a little difficult, right? I searched my brain and came up with a purple martin. A small...

Panama Union Leader Saúl Méndez Goes into Exile in Bolivia

The leader of Panama’s main union, Saúl Méndez, accused of fraud and money laundering, left for exile in Bolivia this Saturday. He had taken...

Costa Rica Opens New Pedestrian Bridge at Guayabo National Monument

Costa Rica has added a new attraction to its archaeological sites with the opening of a pedestrian bridge at Guayabo National Monument. The structure...

Panama Farmer Receives Land Title After 60-Year Wait at Age 109

A 109-year-old Panamanian farmer has received the land title for the property where he lives and works—six decades after first requesting it from the...

Costa Rica Tops Latin America in Attracting Foreign Millionaires

Costa Rica is a country that attracts millionaires. Projections indicate that by the end of 2025, a total of 350 foreign millionaires will have...

Costa Rican Lottery Official Investigated in Money Laundering Case

Another money laundering case has shaken Costa Rica. Following a series of raids that dismantled a laundering network operating through legal and illegal lottery...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica