12:48,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. A total of 23 vaccinated persons have died from COVID-19 in Armenia, all of whom had pre-existing illnesses, healthcare minister Anahit Avanesyan said at a press conference.

“The experience of having administered over 1 million 200 thousand vaccinations so far shows that the vaccination is safe and effective,” she added. “Only 79 people displayed some health complaints during these 1 million 200 thousand vaccinations. More than 40 had COVID-19 itself, they didn’t know they had the virus and got vaccinated, they were asymptomatic,” the healthcare minister said, noting however that vaccination is not contraindicated for those who are infected with COVID-19.

Avanesyan said a small number of people displayed allergic reactions and other symptomatic complaints, and anyone requiring assistance received medical care.

Speaking about cases when vaccinated people get infected and die, she said: “We have 23 citizens, whose average general age is above 75, all of them had co-morbidities like diabetes, tumors, heart diseases and hypertension.”

She warned that people with such diseases get seriously ill when they get infected with the coronavirus, and there are higher risks of the worst outcome.

“Vaccinations truly lower the risk of getting seriously ill tens of times,” she added.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan