KUALA LUMPUR – Recent cases of heart attacks, stroke and blood clots have nothing to do with the Covid-19 vaccines produced by UK-based pharma company AstraZeneca.
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who headed government efforts during the pandemic as health director-general, said the so-called side effect, which is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), only happens between four days and four weeks after the jab.
He added that the government did not offer the AstraZeneca jab to those in the high-risk category or who had a history of blood clots, even though VITT is only likely to happen every four in a million jabs.
“The public should not worry as the last AstraZeneca vaccination ended years ago. The current court cases in the United Kingdom took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At the time, unvaccinated people were dying of Covid-19 at a high rate, and the AstraZeneca vaccine was used as stocks were insufficient,” he posted on X.
He added that those infected with Covid-19 run a higher risk of clots (thrombotic thrombocytopenia), which is 165,000 cases in a million infections.
“Heart attacks, stroke and blood clots are currently caused by other risk factors, such as smoking, cholesterol and diabetes.”
Previously, AstraZeneca said it initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” since the pandemic.
According to media reports, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
The firm’s application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on May 7. – May 28, 2024