Second Dose in Doubt After Pfizer Vaccine Reportedly Leaves Dozen Israelis With Facial Paralysis

10:52 GMT, 17 January 2021

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least 13 Israelis have suffered mild facial paralysis as a side effect after getting the Pfizer vaccine, media reported, citing health ministry officials.

Sputnik

According to Israeli news site Ynet, doctors estimate that the number of similar cases could be higher and are questioning if they should administer the second dose of the vaccine to those who suffered facial paralysis.

However, the country's health ministry recommends they should go ahead, but only if the paralysis passes, the report says.

Second Dose in Doubt After Pfizer Vaccine Reportedly Leaves Dozen Israelis With Facial Paralysis

240 Israelis Test Positive for Coronavirus After Getting Vaccinated

2 January 2021, 12:35 GMT

The Israeli government signed a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech in November for 8 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine. More than 20 percent of Israel's 9 million citizens has so far received the first vaccine dose since the rollout began. At least two elderly people with chronic underlying conditions died after being inoculated.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Epoch Times reported, citing the data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), that 55 people in the United States have died after receiving the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines. In some cases, patients passed away just hours after being injected.

The media outlet reported around 96 life-threatening cases following COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as 24 permanent disabilities, 225 hospitalisations, and 1,388 emergency room visits in the US.