Thailand no longer using AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines
The Ministry of Public Health says it has known about the risk of blood-clotting side effects from AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine since the beginning, and confirmed it has not purchased additional AstraZeneca vaccines after stocks were depleted.
There have been have reported cases of litigation in the United Kingdom regarding adverse effects after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, sometimes resulting in fatal blood-clotting incidents.
While AstraZeneca disputes these allegations, it did admit for the first time in one court document that its vaccine could potentially cause thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) or blood clotting in some cases.
Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said AstraZeneca has been providing information on vaccine side effects through medical journals since its emergency use authorisation (EUA), and now it is widely authorised. The ministry has been collecting adverse-event data as evidence, including cases of litigation.
When there are recommendations or academic information available, the ministry incorporates them into vaccine guidelines, Surachoke said. For instance, when AstraZeneca provided data on blood clotting in younger age groups, the ministry recommended vaccination only for individuals aged 30 and above.
“Data on blood-clotting incidents have been disclosed since the vaccine was used in emergency situations. The company itself has presented this information to all countries using the vaccine, including Thailand.
"At that time, they specified that they were finding problems and suspicions of possible associations, prompting caution and reduced usage thereafter. Thailand also collected data on adverse effects following immunisation for all types of vaccines," Dr Surachoke said.
He further noted, "Vaccination comes with side effects that need to be monitored and reported. Therefore, as the usage becomes more widespread over one to two years, we begin to see more data. This leads to increased recommendations and vigilance."
In all types of medications and vaccines, their usage should be guided by medical advice.
As for the AstraZeneca vaccine, Thailand has already used up its supply, and there have been no additional purchases this year. Therefore, the vaccines currently available for Covid-19 are supplied by Pfizer and Moderna, Surachoke said.
