Thailand postpones vaccine after blood-clotting reports - Bangkok Jack / The Nation

Thailand postpones vaccine after blood-clotting reports

March 13, 2021

The Ministry of Public Health has postponed the launch of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday, as it is awaiting the results of an examination after cases of blood clotting were reported in some countries.

Dr Piyasakol Sakonsattayatorn, consultant on strategy and planning for management of the Covid-19 vaccine, announced the postponement of AstraZeneca vaccination for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Cabinet members, who were to be the first recipients.

Dr Piyasakol said that it was necessary to delay the vaccination because there were reports from Denmark and Austria on Thursday night about suspected side-effects that caused blood to clot in the veins.

The Ministry of Public Health and the medical team believed that the vaccination would be the safest for the public but wanted to find out if the side-effects in some European countries, especially Denmark and Austria, were caused by the vaccination, he said.

Prof Dr Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok said there were chances of finding adverse reactions or side-effects in a mass vaccination programme.

Blood clot in the veins is most common among African and European people, who are at three times more risk than Asians, indicating that genetic factors are involved.

There are currently 3 million doses of the vaccine given in Europe, of whom 22 have died, or 7 in a million. – The Nation