The licensing of the vaccine against covid-19 does not put the brakes on its constant monitoring and assessment, Elena Panayiotopoulou of the island’s Pharmaceutical Services told Philenews.
“We are constantly on alert and, if necessary, we will react and intervene in the whole process at an given moment,” she said.
“The vaccination process, which is ongoing, is followed in all member states of the European Union. And just like other member countries, Cyprus participates in the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee,” she added.
PRAC is the European Medicines Agency’s committee responsible for assessing and monitoring human medicines.
This includes the detection, assessment, minimisation and communication of the risk of adverse reactions, while taking the therapeutic effect of the medicine into account.
As well as the design and evaluation of post-authorisation safety studies and an pharmacovigilance audit.
“As far as the coronavirus vaccine is concerned, each Member State, including Cyprus, monitors the progress of vaccinations in its territory. Any side effects that are identified, serious or less serious, are recorded and reported to the relevant Committee,” said Panayiotopoulou.
“This increases further the feeling of security because, although the safety of this vaccine should not be questioned what so ever, by recording all data from all countries additional knowledge is gained,” she added.
Panayiotopoulou also said that the vaccine has already been given to thousands of people in Europe and elsewhere in the world and, so far, nothing serious has been recorded.
