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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 CECC lists vaccine precautions
A nurse in Taipei holds a vial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of Taiwan’s vaccination program yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
KEEPING WATCH: Vaccine recipients can register on a new smartphone system called Taiwan V-Watch to report on their health and receive follow-up advice and reminders
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
On the nation’s first day of COVID-19 vaccinations yesterday, the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC） reiterated precautions to be taken before and after receiving a jab, and announced the launch of a smartphone response system for vaccine recipients to report health conditions.
Centers for Disease Control （CDC） Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang （莊人祥）, who is the CECC’s spokesperson, said there are seven precautions that people should consider before receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine.
People who have experienced serious allergic reactions to any ingredient in the AstraZeneca vaccine or have experienced a serious allergic reaction after the first dose should avoid vaccination, he said.
People who have a fever or an acute moderate-to-severe illness are advised to delay vaccination until the symptoms are gone, Chuang said, adding that people who are taking oral contraceptives or are undergoing hormone therapy should delay vaccination.
People should receive two doses of the same brand of vaccine and “avoid getting multiple vaccine shots from different brands at the same time,” he said.
The AstraZeneca vaccine should be administered at least 14 days after receiving an inactivated vaccine and at least 28 days after an attenuated vaccine, Chuang said.
The vaccine’s effectiveness might be lower for people with a weakened immune system, including people taking immunosuppressants, he added.
Pregnant women who are at higher risk of infection are advised to consult a physician about whether they should be vaccinated, Chuang said, adding that women can still breastfeed after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
The CECC suggests that vaccine recipients wait 30 minutes after getting the jab in case they develop any adverse reactions, he said.
People who are taking antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants or have a bleeding disorder should “apply firm pressure to the injection site for at least two minutes” after being vaccinated and continue to look out for bleeding or a hematoma, Chuang said.
Common side effects after vaccination include pain and swelling at the injection site, as well as tiredness, a headache, muscle pain, fever, chills, joint pain and nausea, but the symptoms are usually mild and should go away in a few days, he said.
However, Chuang said that if a person experiences a fever （a body temperature of 38°C or above） for more than 48 hours, or has a serious allergic reaction, including difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, a skin rash or other discomfort, after vaccination, they should seek immediate medical attention.
Vaccine recipients should also seek immediate medical attention if they have difficulty breathing or experience chest pain, abdominal pain, swelling or coldness of the limbs, a serious or increasing headache, blurred vision, continuous bleeding, idiopathic purple bruises or dots on the skin within 14 days of being vaccinated, he said.
They should inform the doctor that they were vaccinated and ask them to report the case, he added.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who heads the center, also announced a new smartphone response system — Taiwan V-Watch — using the messaging app Line.
Vaccine recipients can voluntarily register on the system to report on their health and receive follow-up services.
The system periodically sends simple questionnaires asking registered users about their health, gives suggestions about whether to seek medical attention and also reminds users to receive their second vaccine dose, the CECC said.
The system can be found in the CDC’s official Line account at “@taiwancdc,” and users can opt out at any time and their personal data would be deleted, it said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
