MOH: Prompt treatment if blood clots occur after AstraZeneca jabs

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) will constantly monitor the incidence of blood clots with the administration of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and assures the public that immediate treatment will be given should such an incident occur.

“The occurrence of blood clots is very rare, and the administration of this vaccine has taken into account its benefits in preventing Covid-19 infection, which outweighs the risks from vaccination,” said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba in a statement.

Malaysia received 268,800 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine through the Covax facility on April 24, and the vaccine will be administered to the public from today.

The AstraZeneca vaccination is open to 268,000 individuals on a first-come first-served basis for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor residents, and the first appointment slot for the vaccination will be held today at the designated vaccination centres (PPVs).

The PPVs are Universiti Malaya,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre and Shah Alam Ideal Convention Centre.

Dr Adham said AstraZeneca vaccine recipients were advised to constantly monitor their health, and seek immediate treatment if they experienced symptoms within four days to four weeks after being inoculated.

He said immediate treatment should be sought if there were symptoms such as a severe headache that did not go away with painkillers or became worse, and headache worsened when lying down or bending.

Other symptoms are unusual headaches accompanied by blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, difficulty in speaking, weakness, drowsiness or seizures, small spots on the skin, bruising or bleeding and difficulty breathing, chest pain, swelling in the legs or persistent abdominal pain, he said.

Dr Adham said medical practitioners treating AstraZeneca vaccine recipients’ cases should investigate whether the individual had received the vaccine within 30 days before symptoms began.

The medical practitioner will also need to do a further examination to confirm whether the symptoms shown are due to blood clots.

“Relevant examinations including blood and radiology examinations should be carried out as soon as possible.

“Immediate treatment should be given if the test results show that blood clotting has actually occurred,” he said. — Bernama