Rwanda: Covid-19 vaccine had no negative effects on elderlies

Elderlies who received the Covid-19 vaccine confirm that they did not notice any strong side effects since receiving the dose of the vaccine, except a few who announced that they felt tiredness, fever, back pain, headache and dizziness, which only lasted a short while.

Valerie Nyirasharangabo from Murambi Village, Ruli Cell, Shyogwe Sector in Muhanga District, is one of the old people who were vaccinated with the first dose of Astra-Zeneca, she said she never felt any effects in her body, and her life went on as usual.

“Honestly, when I was given the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, I did not feel any negative effect inside me, I continued my activities as usual, I did neither feel sick nor pain in my body,” she said.

Charles Gakuba, hailing from Binunga Village, Makera Cell, Cyeza Sector in Muhanga District, said that he felt just fine when he reached home, however, about three hours later, he had some headache and back pain.

“After the injection, I was feeling well and there was no change in my body, and I reached home and continued my activities, but after three hours, I felt changes in me because I had a headache, and I felt pain in my back. I then went to bed, things got easier as hours passed, I did not go to see any doctor because the condition was not even too bad,” he declared.

Some of the nurses who vaccinated the elderlies explained how the bodies of the elderlies reacted to the vaccine.

Azela Dusengimana, Director of Nyabikenke Health Centre in Muhanga District, confirmed that the elderlies did not face hard effects, because none of the vaccinated returned to the health facility seeking medical assistance.

She said: “In fact, I can say that the vaccination process went well, because at Kiyumba Health Centre, where I was part of the vaccination team, nobody
returned complaining about the effects of the vaccine, after being vaccinated, they simply returned home.”

Marie Goretti Dusabeyezu, Gitarama Health Centre Director also reported that no abnormal effects of the vaccinated people, both elderly and the rest.

“The vaccinated people reached home safely, and they did not show any symptoms of the effects of the vaccine, and nobody returned complaining anything as a consequence of the vaccine,” she echoed.

RBC confirms effectiveness

On some people who faced side effects for a few hours due to the Covid-19, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), said that it is normal to have fever after any vaccine, explaining that it depends on the reaction of the vaccine inside the body, depending on the body, but he clarified that this does not happen to all people, and for those who notice these effects, it does not last for long.

“The vaccine given to the people did not have negative effects on them, and none of the vaccinated people returned to any health facility because they were fine,” he confirmed.

The official, who said that the vaccine, both Astra-Zeneca and Pfizer, was effective and had no negative effect, emphasized that it did not harm elderlies at all.