Post-COVID-19 vaccination reaction in Vietnam within recommended levels
VOV.VN - Approximately 26% of people who had the COVID-19 vaccination globally recorded common reactions, with 0.7% having a severe reaction, and the figure dropping to 0.1% in Vietnam, according to Prof. Dr. Dang Duc Anh, director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.
"There is always a certain rate of reaction after injection. This rate is in the recommendations of manufacturers as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) and related agencies", Prof. Anh, who is also head of the Expanded Immunization Project, said on March 15. These comments were made on the sidelines of the initial phase of human trials for the domestically-produced COVIVAC vaccine.
Prof. Anh stated that the Vietnamese Ministry of Health has so far recorded 11 cases of severe reactions following the COVID-19 vaccination, including signs of a high fever and increased blood pressure, although there have been no cases of blood clot.
Cases where severe reactions have occurred appear sporadic in terms of different subjects, with individuals undergoing medical examinations prior to the injection, with no serious underlying diseases being reported. Following the inoculation, everyone is closely monitored, with all subjects remaining in a stable health.
Human trials to test for the second locally-made COVID-19 vaccine known as Covivac started on March 15 at the Hanoi Medical University, with six volunteers being randomly given either a dose of the vaccine or a placebo at the university’s clinical research centre. After the injects their health will be closely monitored on-site for a period of 24 hours.
The other 114 volunteers will also receive them during upcoming sessions, with the sessions set to be spaced eight days apart and run until April 20.
In terms of the nation’s rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine, after eight days over 11,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with the estimated rate of severe reactions after inoculation being 0.1%.
The Ministry of Health has also established specialised committees to investigate the causes of these severe anaphylaxis and the Ministry also asking localities to continue to monitor and evaluate the post-injection response status.
The country has ordered 30 million doses of the vaccine, with 117,600 arriving late last month. The country will receive a further 1.4 million AstraZeneca doses through Covax by April, whilst it is also negotiating with the Pfizer and Moderna of the United States and other vaccine manufacturers in Russia and China.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved and used in over 70 countries globally, including the UK, India, Indonesia, and various EU nations. The company distributed a total of 30 million doses of the vaccine to the EU during the first quarter, with the aim of providing 100 million doses in the first half of the year.
At least 10 European nations, including Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of severe cases of blood clots occurring following inoculation.
"The WHO also recommends that Vietnam should consider the benefits of the vaccine and the risks of the pandemic, and then take the best measures for the people," said Prof. Duc Anh.
The nation has yet to record cases of blood clot, said the Ministry of Health, adding that post-injection reactions remain controllable. Therefore, the country will continue to deploy COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the principle of ensuring absolute safety.
According to Prof. Anh, the country should launch both vaccination and monitor the inoculation situation in other countries as a means of best assessing the quality of vaccines available.
