April 26, 2021 - A look at the vaccine side effects in Croatia until April 22, 2021. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that out of a total of 750,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in Croatia by April 22, side effects were reported in only 0.4 percent of cases. According to the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED), 36 reports of suspected side effects were received for every 10,000 doses of vaccine.

Out of a total of 2667 reports, there were 1297 side effects for Pfizer / BioNTech's Comirnaty vaccine, 1166 for AstraZeneca, and 202 for Moderna.

So far, most citizens in Croatia have been vaccinated with Pfizer (about 390 thousand), and only 0.33 percent of those vaccinated have reported side effects, most often mild ones. Slightly less than 230,000 people were vaccinated with AstraZeneca, and 0.55 percent of side effects were reported. The fewest people were vaccinated with Moderna (about 103 thousand), and it had the least side effects of 0.19 percent.

Of the total reported adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine, 81 percent were mild health problems, while 19 percent were more severe.

The most commonly reported adverse reactions were fever (49.1 percent), headache (32.3 percent), application site pain (29.3 percent), chills (27.6 percent), muscle pain (24.7 percent), general weakness (24.1 percent), fatigue (15.4 percent), nausea (10.4 percent), joint pain (9 percent), and redness at the vaccine site (8.6 percent).

These are expected side effects, which occur frequently, are similar to the side effects of other vaccines, and are usually mild to moderate in intensity and resolve spontaneously over several days or with symptomatic therapy (e.g., cold compresses, antipyretic medications, and pain medications).

Among the serious side effects, hypersensitivity reactions, which manifested as rash, itching, and hives shortly after vaccination, were the most common. Antiallergic drugs were administered, after which recovery occurred in all cases. These were young to middle-aged adults.

Also, reactions of facial paresis or peripheral weakness of one side of the face have been reported less frequently. These reactions are usually associated with swelling of the tissue that presses on the nerve and is most often a transient condition.

Most side effects of all vaccines occurred within four hours of their administration. In some cases, side effects were accompanied by problems with breathing or swallowing or swelling of the face, lips, and tongue.

Several cases of thromboembolic symptoms have been reported, where patients were hospitalized and released home after therapy with instructions on medications to take.

Sporadic cases of blood clots accompanied by a reduced number of platelets in Croatia have not been reported.

For more on coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section.