WHO Chief Scientist: 'in order to minimise risks of allergic reaction, vaccination should be done in environment with doctors, all necessary medications’

Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland has commented on the death of a nurse after receiving AstraZeneca vaccination in Georgia, saying that in order to minimise the risks of anaphylaxis, vaccination should be done in an environment where there are doctors and all necessary medicines.

• UPDATED: Georgian nurse who went into anaphylactic shock after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine dies

The second issue is that whoever gets the vaccine should be monitored for about 30 minutes, especially those who have a history of anaphylaxis. I think it is important to send a message that these are very rare cases and we try to minimise such cases by ensuring that people are monitored after vaccination, that medicines are available in the medical facilities for those who have an allergic reaction. And it is necessary to convince people that the benefits of vaccines outweigh their risks", she said.

27-year-old Georgian nurse Megi Bakradze went into anaphylactic shock after receiving the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and later died at First University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University on March 19.  

The State Regulation Agency for Medical Activities will publish an interim report on the death of Bakradze this week.