Only one case of Vaccine-induced immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT), or clogged arteries, has been reported among more than five million people in Thailand who have received the AstraZeneca viral vector vaccine until July 11th, said Director-Deneral of Medical Sciences Department Dr. Supakit Sirilak today (Friday).
The case is a 26-year old woman, who suffers from migraines. A lab test shows she has thrombocytopenia and high levels of D-dimer and positive Anti PF4/heparin antibodies. After being treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), her condition improved.
Dr. Supakit said that the VITT incidence among people in Thailand, who were inoculated with viral vector vaccines, is 1:5,000,000, which is much lower than the rate in many other countries, recorded at 1:125,000 up to 1:1,000,000, or 5-40 times higher than in Thailand.
Although the VITT symptoms may be severe, he said that they can be cured if the diagnosis and treatment of the patients is fast enough, adding that at least 78 hospitals in Thailand have labs which can test for VITT.
He went on to say that more AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to people in Thailand and anyone who experiences post-vaccination extreme headaches, stomachaches, chest pains, swollen legs, fatigue, chest tightness, blurred vision or double vision within 30 days should immediately contact doctors at their nearest hospital.
Meanwhile, the Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) said on its Facebook page today that 615,867 people received doses of the Sinopharm vaccine between June 26th and July 19th.
Follow-up on the undesirable side effects, within the first seven days of vaccination, using questionnaire responses received from 84,775 vaccinated people, shows only 769 cases suffering any side effects, mostly mild or moderate, such as headache, fatigue and muscle pains, representing just 0.12% of the people already vaccinated.
Four deaths were reported within seven days of inoculation and one other person is being treated in ICU, but the CRA believes that the fatalities are not related to the vaccine.
The CRA has distributed its second lot of Sinopharm vaccine to 53 local administration organizations in various provinces, to be administered to 152,982 people.
