Health authorities on Saturday, April 10, said the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine did not cause the adverse event experienced by a recipient in Caloocan City last week.

In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said a social media post on April 8 alleged that a 54-year-old male from Caloocan City experienced a serious adverse event after vaccination.

“Upon receipt of the said report, the Department of Health (DOH) immediately alerted the Regional Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee (RAEFIC) to conduct a causality assessment to determine if the vaccine had indeed caused the reaction,” the statement read.

After the conclusion of the casualty assessment, the DOH and the FDA reported that “the COVID-19 vaccine did not cause the stroke” of the vaccine recipient.

The health agencies also noted that the adverse event “is inconsistent with the causal association to the vaccine,” and that “the adverse event is coincidental to underlying or emerging conditions of the patient.”

With this, the DOH and FDA reminded those in-charge of the vaccination to strictly follow screening protocols in the assessment of potential vaccine recipients.

Health authorities have also called on the public to fully disclose their underlying conditions during registration for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The DOH and FDA strongly emphasize that vaccines are safe and effective in affording protection against COVID-19 and in preventing the severe form of COVID-19,” the statement read.

“With the expansion of the national vaccination program to cover senior citizens and persons with comorbidities, the DOH and FDA likewise urge the public to avail of the free COVID-19 vaccines to acquire the protection it provides not only for yourselves, but also for your families,” it added.