A third person has died after receiving the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa, but it’s very unlikely, says an immunisation expert, that the country will record a higher number of deaths from the vaccine than other countries worldwide.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) reported last week that a patient had experienced Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) after receiving a Covid-19 jab before dying. GBS is a very rare but potentially severe neurological adverse event associated with various vaccines and other medicines. It can also be triggered by some bacterial or viral infections.
Regulatory authorities say the J&J shot might increase the risk of GBS – which is listed as a rare adverse event for the vaccine, reports Health-e News.
Head of the South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences Professor Hannelie Meyer said further deaths were unlikely, with the extremely rare severe events at 1-10 in a million vaccinated people and 13.6bn doses already administered globally.
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