Quick and painless, says PM Lee as he completes Covid-19 vaccination regimen

"Just like my first jab, it was quick and painless," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared on Facebook, after receiving his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday morning (Jan 29).

"The doctors watched me for 30 minutes afterwards, just in case. Happy to share that I feel fine."

Having completed his vaccination regimen at the Singapore General Hospital, PM Lee said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is "ramping up the vaccine programme" and "opening more vaccination centres".

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two injections that are given 21 days apart. Those who are vaccinated will be issued a card to remind them of follow-up appointments. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/leehsienloong/posts/4019534174775925[/embed]

By Jan 28, more than 113,000 people were given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, according to the health ministry. More than 50 individuals had also received their second dose of the vaccine.

Among them, there were 432 "adverse event reports" linked to symptoms generally associated with all vaccinations.

According to the Health Sciences Authority, the symptoms include injection site pain and swelling, fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, giddiness, nausea and allergic reactions such as itch, rash, swelling of eyes or lip. 

However, most of these symptoms resolved on their own within a few days, MOH said.

The three individuals who had anaphylaxis, or rapid onset of severe allergic reactions, had recovered and were discharged from the hospital after a day's observation or treatment.

All three, who are in their 20s and 30s, developed multiple symptoms such as rash, breathlessness, lip swelling, throat tightness and giddiness.

They were found to have had a history of allergies, which included allergic rhinitis and food allergy such as to shellfish, but not of anaphylaxis, which would have prevented them from receiving the vaccine, the health ministry added.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

qistina@asiaone.com