AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine recipients do not need blood clotting test: MoH

Health authorities made the recommendation, playing down public concerns about side-effects people may have after having got the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shots.

AstraZeneca recently admitted that its vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) which is known to cause blood clots and low blood platelet counts.

Since July 2023, Vietnam has used up all the AstraZeneca vaccine, and there is no longer any risk of the TTS in the country, said health authorities.

According to experts, thrombosis issues, if present, often arise 28 days following injection.

“Vaccination side-effects don’t last long,” said Dr. Doan Du Manh, a member of the Vietnam Vascular Disease Association, cautioning that the misuse of pointless testing will cause public confusion.

According to the health professional, the D-Dimer test is indicated for people with symptoms of blood clotting disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include leg pain or swelling, redness, or red streaks on the leg. Symptoms of pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness and irregular heartbeat.

The D-Dimer test is usually performed in an emergency room or other healthcare facility. Although it is common, patients should only have this test performed when it is recommended by cardiologists, he said.

Associate Professor Do Van Dung, head of the Department of Public Health, HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said at this moment, there is no need to perform such tests to check for blood clots or monitor platelet count.

Only a small percentage of recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccination during a one to two-month period experience blood clotting. People who have received the COVID-19 vaccination from AstraZeneca would no longer experience blood clots after repeated injections, he said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was licensed for conditional use by the MoH in February 1, 2021 to meet the country’s urgent needs for vaccination against COVID-19. This was the first COVID-19 vaccine imported for use in Vietnam.

The MoH has developed a strict vaccination process to ensure the vaccine’s effectiveness and recipients’ safety. Based on recommendations from medical organizations around the world, the ministry on April 22, 2021 issued Guidelines on diagnosis and treatment thrombocytopenia and blood clot syndrome after COVID-19 vaccination.

So far, more than 266 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, including 70 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses.

Thanks to the widespread vaccination campaign, the AstraZeneca vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines helped Vietnam effectively control the pandemic, significantly reducing morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, and partly contributing to bringing life back to normal, said health authorities.

AstraZeneca is one of the 14 COVID-19 vaccines licensed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. Statistics show more than 170 countries have approved the emergency use of this vaccine and more than 2 billion doses have been administered globally.

Experts also say that the AstraZeneca vaccine has proved to be effective in preventing severe symptoms and reducing deaths from COVID-19. Analysis of data from multiple studies and post-vaccination follow-up indicates that the vaccine is safe and effective for all age groups.

The MoH recommended that people keep updating information from reliable sources to have a more complete view of pandemic prevention and control measures, and to get to know benefits they enjoy from vaccination.