A total of 432 “adverse events” were reported, including three cases of anaphylaxis – rapid onset of severe allergic reactions.

“Anaphylaxis is a known but rare side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine,” said Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at the ministry of health, in a statement yesterday.

As with all vaccines, Mak said, there will always be a small proportion of susceptible persons who experience severe allergic reactions upon vaccination.

“We have put in place precautionary measures such as pre-vaccination screening and post-vaccination observation, to ensure that our vaccination programme can be carried out safely.

“All three cases of anaphylaxis were promptly treated and are well,” he said.

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

All had a history of allergies, including allergic rhinitis and food allergy such as to shellfish, but none had a history of anaphylaxis which would have precluded them from receiving the vaccine, Mak said.

Most of the other reports were for regular symptoms such as injection site pain and swelling, fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, giddiness, nausea and allergic reactions such as itch, rash, and swelling of eyes or lips.