The Directorate General of Health (DGS) has acknowledged that the simultaneous administration of influenza and Covid-19 vaccines – authorized as of Monday – may (or may not) cause more adverse reactions, so it advises taking paracetamol, if that is the case.
This information is contained in two Rules Updated by the DGS since Friday, when the health agency announce Vaccination against both viruses will start at the same time.
“Given the potential for greater interaction, with a vaccine schedule consisting of two vaccines of different brands, paracetamol may be administered, following the administration of the second dose,” it reads.
The regulation also specifies that “the user must be informed of potential adverse reactions” and “may elect to be administered on different days.”
In the latter case, he adds, “the 14-day period between departments must be respected, in accordance with the criteria established for vaccines against Covid-19 from the DGS.”
The standard also provides guidance on where to give the vaccines: Covid-19 in the left arm and influenza in the right. Alternatively, according to the DGS, it can be given in the thighs, but not in the “buttocks,” he warns.
“Only in exceptional cases can vaccines be administered in the same anatomical site, at least 2.5 cm apart,” this confirms the organism.
According to the DGS, co-administration of vaccines is a vaccination practice that is carried out in Portugal and in the world, within the scope of national vaccination programmes, which aims to improve recommended vaccination schedules.
“The available data analyzed by the Technical Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination (CTVC), which includes the results of the WHO expert group meeting on vaccination, show that there is an acceptable safety profile after taking both vaccines,” the organization led by Graça Freitas said Friday. .
According to the DGS, the data also indicate that the efficacy of both vaccines is maintained, as there is still no evidence of a change in the immune response.
