Robredo felt no adverse side effects after getting first shot of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA News

Published May 20, 2021 3:06pm

Vice President Leni Robredo initially felt sleepy but did not experience any adverse side effect after receiving her first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday.

Robredo, in a Facebook post, said she felt sleepy hours after getting a COVID-19 vaccine but the drowsiness went away since she had to do a question and answer segment during her speaking engagement later that day.

“I was a little sleepy before my speaking part but the Q&A made me forget about the sleepiness.  I went to my room earlier than usual and made sure everything was within arm’s reach just in case—medicines, sweater, socks, extra blanket, 2 jugs of water.  I was expecting the chills and body pains to come anytime, but [there was] nothing,” she said.

Robredo then said that since she could not sleep, she instead monitored her office’s Bayanihan E-Konsulta (telemedicine) efforts before finally calling it a day at 2 a.m. She woke up feeling alright.

“I woke up at 7am this morning —no chills, no fever. Even my left arm didn’t feel heavy,” she pointed out.

“So until now, no fever or chills, no headache, no body malaise, no soreness in my arm. Thank God,” she added.

Robredo said members of her staff who also took the vaccine alongside her experienced varying degrees of fever, chills, and body pains.

“So, I guess, the side effects being experienced vary from person to person,” she said.

Robredo then said she will only be working from home today upon the advice of her daughters given that the immune system of those who got the COVID-19 vaccine tend to drop after the vaccination day.

AstraZeneca, administered in two doses, has an efficacy rate of 70% after the first dose based on the evaluation of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The 70% rating increases after the second dose is administered four to 12 weeks later.

Earlier, Robredo said she got the vaccine with the members of her staff in Quezon City since they all fall under the A3 category who are persons with comorbidities.

Robredo has hypertension.—AOL, GMA News