SINGAPORE, Jan 20 — The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19 is safe for those with hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, but women are advised to defer conception for a month after completing both jabs, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in two advisories issued yesterday.
In the advisories on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination programme, which are available on the ministry’s website, MoH recommends that individuals with chronic illnesses “receive the vaccine for personal protection as well as protecting their loved ones”.
This is because “no safety concerns” were reported from the study population of the Pfizer-BioNTech’s phase three trials — which included persons with medical comorbidities, who were at risk of serious, life-threatening disease and death from Covid-19.
The advisories are included as part of the frequently-asked-questions segment on MoH's website.
The reassurance comes shortly after Norway made international headlines recently when it flagged possible concerns that the Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill.
The statement by the Norwegian Medicines Agency was initially made after 33 people in the country aged 75 and over died following their immunisation with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
However, on Monday, the Nordic country’s health authority said that it found no evidence of a direct link between the spate of deaths and the vaccine.
Instead, they said that the patients who died were already seriously ill.
Family planning
In its advisory for women who are planning a pregnancy, MoH advises women to defer conception for one month after completing the two required vaccine injections.
It explained that there is currently “not enough evidence” to advise on the use of the vaccines during pregnancy.“It is recommended that pregnant women defer vaccination until more data become available, or receive vaccination after delivery,” it said.
However, if a woman becomes pregnant after the first dose, MoH advises them to refrain from receiving the second dose.
For lactating women, MoH recommended in an earlier advisory that they still get vaccinated, but abstain from breastfeeding for five to seven days after receiving it. ― TODAY
