THE government has reiterated its commitment to offering continued support to COVID-19 vaccine recipients, including those administered with AstraZeneca, and who may have suffered from its side effects.
According to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, the government has records on adverse events following immunization (AEFI) caused by COVID-19 vaccines and has the means to treat them.
“AstraZeneca has recalled its vaccine, and this is global. What we want to ensure is that if anyone has evidence-based concerns related to the AstraZeneca vaccine, we have ways to ensure they get assistance,” he was quoted as saying by FMT at a press conference on Friday (May 10).
“That is the assurance given by the government. We will be able to identify such cases, and we also have a registry, we have the data.”
Dr Dzulkefly further stated that the government will also be responsible for vaccine recipients from other pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac should they encounter side effects from the vaccine.
Previously, Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has said that it had begun a worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine after admitting in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts in “more than one in 10 people”.
On this matter, Dr Dzulkefly noted that the issue would not affect other vaccine programmes, including the national immunisation programme (NIP).
He said the NIP, which is a long-standing practice nationwide, has effectively bolstered childhood immunization and prevented the spread of serious diseases.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is another matter altogether. We also have other vaccination programmes such as HPV to combat cervical cancer, and the NIP, which has proven invaluable to parents given the high cost associated with these vaccines,” he remarked.
“There is no dispute when it comes to this. The people are aware, have the knowledge and are informed. We will continue to educate the people.” – May 10, 2024
Main pic credit: Utusan Malaysia
