Freedom of Information request about ADR side effects reported from the Channel Islands (FOI-21-274)
Published 28 May 2021
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Thank you for your email dated 17th March 2021, where you asked for information on the following:
“Would you, be able to tell me how many reports of side-effects in relation to the Pfizer and/or AstraZeneca vaccines have been submitted from Jersey, or the Channel Islands, this year”
The MHRA works closely with the UK devolved administrations as well as the governments of the Channel Islands. All individuals receiving a vaccine are encouraged to report side effects to COVID19 vaccines to the Yellow Card Scheme by the local governments in these territories.
As per your request, from 01/01/2021 to 05/04/2021, I can confirm that we have received 264 Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reports associated with COVID-19 vaccines reported from the Channel Islands. Please be aware that this information is based only on ADR reports received directly from either healthcare professionals or from patients, parents and carers. The accuracy of the data relies on the postcode being provided by the reporter on the original Yellow Card. Furthermore, if the postcode is incorrectly provided, the Yellow Card will not be included in this analysis. Please see Table 1 below for a breakdown of the number of reports received from the Channel Islands per vaccine.
Table 1: The number of suspected ADR reports received from 01/01/2021 to 05/04/2021, from the Channel Islands in association with COVID-19 vaccines.
| Reported vaccine | Number of suspected ADR reports |
|---|---|
| Pfizer/ BioNTech | 87 |
| Oxford University/AstraZeneca | 176 |
| Brand unspecified at reporting | 1 |
You may also wish to view the weekly summary of Yellow Card reporting which details the number of suspected ADR reports received in the UK per country. This can be found in Table 3 in the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adversereactions/coronavirus-vaccine-summary-of-yellow-card-reporting
Further to your request, when considering the spontaneous Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) data provided, it is important to be aware of the following points:
A report of a suspected ADR to the Yellow Card scheme does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the vaccine, only that the reporter has a suspicion it may have. Underlying or previously undiagnosed illness unrelated to vaccination can also be factors in such reports. The relative number and nature of reports should therefore not be used to compare the safety of the vaccines. All reports are kept under continual review in order to identify possible new risks.
I hope the information provided is helpful, but if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of this response; and can be addressed to this email address.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team,
Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division