COVID-19 vaccine side effects prompting sick calls from some health-care staff

Health PEI says side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine haveled to some health-care workerscallingin sick,particularly after receiving their second dose.

While the agency didn't provide specific numbers, P.E.I.'s nurses union said that second dose "seems to be resulting in an increase of sickcalls for 24 hours after immunization."

The province's chief public health officer said only a"minority of people" experience side effects, but they'renot unexpected, or reason for concern.

"This is also what they foundin trials before the vaccine was approved younger people, less than 53 years of age, were having some more-reported side effects, especially after the second dose," said Dr. Heather Morrison.

Knowing whether to call in sick 'a challenge'

Morrison saidthe commonly reported side effects from the vaccine are similar to someCOVID-19 symptoms, including "headache, fever, aches and pains, sometimes sore throat."

She said while that'sa "sign your body is mounting the immune response to the vaccine," it makes it toughto determine whether there's a need to stay home from work.

"That is a challenge," she said."And they've been discussing that right acrossthe country too: In those first 24-48 hours after you receive your vaccine, if you're experiencing some side effects or symptoms, are you feeling well enough to go to work or not?"

In an emailto CBC, Health PEI saidsick calls resulting from the vaccine have"not had a significant impact on staff generally."

Though the agency added, "We have had one unit at the QEH with severalpeople calling in sick the day after the vaccines were provided."

Staggered vaccines?

In an effort to avoid that scenario again, Health PEIsaid it is considering staggering the vaccine rollout for staff working together in a unit or department.

Health PEI's new chief operating officer,Dr. Michael Gardam, said that's a strategy some other jurisdictions are already using.

Gardam previously worked in Ontario.

"That is what I've been dealing with in Toronto, is making sure we spread vaccination out, so you don't have one whole group of people who work in one place getting sick all at once," he said.

Gardam doesn't anticipate side effects from the vaccine will lead to a big jump in sick days amongstaff, or put an addedstrain on the health-care system.

"Typically the side effects are about a day," he said."So if you think of the normal sick calls we'd get during cold and flu season, most of which don't exist this year, it'll be interesting to see the data by the end of the winter, whether we've actually had fewer sick calls despite people getting vaccinated."

As of Jan. 23, 1,892Islanders had received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, many of themfront-line health-care workers, according to the province's online data.

More P.E.I. news