One ERH staff member received the vaccination at noon on Wednesday, March 31 and felt “really unwell” by 6 pm.
“I had fever-like symptoms, cold sweats, rigors (uncontrollable shivering) and a really bad headache,” they said.
The staff member went to work the following day and said the worst of the symptoms eased about noon, but it took until Friday evening for them to stop “feeling out of it”.
Another staff member who spoke to the Riv said they had “never felt so sick”.
Recent national data has revealed 50 per cent of those vaccinated with AstraZeneca in Australia developed mild side effects and one in four people took a day off work, study or routine duties.
ERH chief executive Nick Bush said of the more than 350 staff, volunteers and emergency service members vaccinated, about five per cent took sick leave.
“This is slightly higher than anticipated and is comparable with our sick leave data relating to previous influenza vaccination programs,” he said.
“We have had some staff who have been unwell with symptoms such as shivers and vomiting but none who have required hospitalisation.
“Most symptoms last for less than 24 hours and more often between 12 and 18 hours.”
Mild side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines are more common in people under 55, according to The World Health Organisation's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance-led and Australian Department of Health-funded AusVaxSafety collates data from surveys sent on day three after the vaccination.
As at April 11, 64 per cent of the nearly 75,000 Australians who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine reported an “adverse event” following.
The most common were fatigue (51 per cent), headache (44 per cent) and muscle or body aches (41 per cent).
Chills, fever and joint aches or pain were also reported by more than 25 per cent of participants.
Nearly a quarter of participants missed work, study or routine duties, the majority of them for one day.
The data is vastly different for the Pfizer vaccine, with about a third of participants reporting mild side effects, while only five per cent had a day off.
Before Easter, the Federal Government updated advice for the AstraZeneca vaccine following a second case in Australia of a rare blood clotting illness, giving preference to the Pfizer vaccine for people under the age of 50 who haven’t already had their first dose.
Mr Bush said ERH was waiting on clarification to extend the vaccine rollout to organisations such as Vivid, and the broader community.
“We will continue to work within the guidelines set out by the state and federal governments as they are updated,” he said.
“At this stage controlling the pandemic in Australia, long-term, can only be achieved through a successful vaccination program.”
Editor’s note: The Riverine Herald is not suggesting people should not receive the COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines are considered safe and effective in protecting people from serious illness or death due to COVID-19. Before vaccines are made available in Australia they must pass strict Australian safety standards set by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration.
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