Thai Government Says 12 Post Vaccine Deaths “Just a Coincidence”

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control reports that an investigation into 12 of 28 post vaccine deaths were coincidental to the covid-19 vaccinations. The remaining results of the other 16 patients is still pending.

Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director for emergency health hazards and diseases, said experts found that Covid-19 vaccines had nothing to do with 12 of the deaths.  They were defined as coincidental events.

Determining the exact cause of the post vaccine deaths in each case was a time-consuming process and took into account the patients’ medical treatment records, autopsy reports and results of laboratory tests, he said.

Of the 12 post vaccine dealths, eight suffered acute coronary syndrome (sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart), one had Immune Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (a blood disease), one a pulmonary embolism (lung blood clot), one purulent meningitis and one an intraabdominal aneurysm.

“The deaths were from severe undesirable symptoms and were not a result of receiving the vaccine… People can rest assured that the vaccines are safe,” Dr Chawetsan said.

Undesirable symptoms or side effects could be the body’s reaction to foreign substances,  and vaccines were foreign substances, he said.

Dr Chawetsan said most people with a chronic illness whose condition was stable could receive Covid-19 vaccines. The investigations into the 16 other fatalities were still incomplete, Dr Chawetsan said.

Limited Covid-19 vaccine supplies

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday that more Covid-19 vaccine supplies will be sought for Bangkok to catch up with rising demand for the vaccine while the capital’s outbreak situation remains critical.

Bangkok is a large, densely populated area and the centre of everything, he said during a visit to a vaccination unit at a shopping mall in Bang Khae.

It is actually capable of injecting at most 3,000 people with a Covid-19 vaccine per day but is currently supplied with only 500 doses each day.

He didn’t explain how the shortfall came about. It comes amid reports some people are being kept waiting for hours for the vaccination.