By Vishani Ragobeer
A 13-year-old girl who attends the Parika Salem Secondary school in Region Three fell ill just after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at her school on Tuesday but she is back home recovering well.
This is according to her father Mark Yusuff, who spoke with the News Room via telephone on Wednesday night. The girl’s condition was made known after her mother, Annette Yusuff, uploaded several videos and photos to Facebook. The initial post made by the woman, highlighting the young girl’s condition, has since gone viral- chalking up more than 6,000 shares.
The young girl’s father told the News Room that after she received the jab, she told her mother that she was feeling weak. He, however, lamented that the healthcare workers stationed at the school were not properly equipped to provide assistance to the girl.
Recognising that the girl’s condition was not improving, Mr Yusuff said that he rushed her to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where she was administered oxygen and since she eventually showed signs of recovery, she was sent home.
Later that night, however, the man recounted that his daughter started feeling unwell again. They took her back to the Leonora hospital but she was transferred to the West Demerara hospital.
Instead of taking the girl there, the family opted to take her to the Woodlands private hospital in Georgetown. At the private hospital, though, the family was told to take her to the Georgetown Public Hospital. And so they did.
At the public hospital, several tests were conducted including a COVID-19 test, a blood test and a heart test but Mr Yusuff said that none of the tests indicated that there was a serious issue with his daughter. It was, however, found that the girl has a low magnesium level.
By 09:30 hrs on Wednesday, the child was discharged and she returned to her house in Parika with her family.
“She’s not 100 per cent… but she’s coming around,” Mr Yusuff related.
The father also said that officials from the Health Ministry made contact with him and promised to send a doctor to check up on his daughter. That doctor is expected to visit the family by 10:00 hrs on Thursday.
Mr Yusuff also acknowledged that many people have been politicising his daughter’s condition and he does not appreciate that.
“I feel confused about me daughter last night and my wife had to post it and if we didn’t post it, we wouldn’t get any satisfaction.
“We had to do what we had to do and people taking it to a different level- on a political level- but me ain’t got time with that,” he said.
Still, the man said that he is anxious over his daughter falling ill again. In fact, until the doctor comes to visit her on Thursday and tells the family that she will be fine, he does not believe that the family will be able to rest.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in a statement assured the public that the COVID-19 vaccines are “safe and effective.”
The health ministry, however, reminded all parents to mention their child’s medical condition to the vaccination provider. The Pfizer COVID-19 is given in two doses, given three weeks apart.
