Vietnam records first death from adverse reaction to AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

A 35-year-old female medical worker in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang died on May 7 of anaphylactic shock after receiving a dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine a day earlier.
Vietnam records first death from adverse reaction to AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine ảnh 1Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - A 35-year-old female medical worker in the Mekong Delta province ofAn Giang died on May 7 of anaphylactic shock after receiving a dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine a day earlier.

DoctorTu Quoc Tuan, Director of the provincial Department of Health, confirmed thedeath late on May 7, making this the first death from adverse reaction toCOVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam since the country started its inoculation driveusing primarily AstraZeneca doses in early March.

Thewoman was working at Tan Chau Region General Hospital and received the vaccineshot on May 6.

Afterthe injection, the patient went into shock and was treated by the Tan Chau RegionalGeneral Hospital in accordance with the protocol. The hospital also consultedwith experts and doctors from the An Giang Province General Hospital and Cho RayHospital in Ho Chi Minh City via the online consutation system regarding thetreatment.

Shewas then transferred to the An Giang Province General Hospital, and theMinistry of Health instructed the Cho Ray Hospital to send intensive carespecialists there to provide emergency assistance, but the patient did notsurvive.

Theofficial cause of death was registered as anaphylaxis, with an underlyingcondition identified as an allergy to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Thehealth ministry’s notice said this is an extremely rare incident in regards toCOVID-19 vaccinations.

Ministerof Health Nguyen Thanh Long called the woman's family to send his condolencesand sympathies for their loss as well as the loss of An Giang’s frontlinehealthcare forces.

Earlieron May 6, Long along with three of his deputies received AstraZeneca doses, stressing theneed to ensure a safe vaccination programme.

TheMinistry of Health has established a steering committee for safe immunisation,which brings together leading experts and professors in all relevant fields tobe ready to assist localities in handling any situation arising during thevaccination drive, Long said.

Asof May 7 morning, 747,827 people in Vietnam, mostly frontline workers andmedical staff, had received COVID-19 vaccine shots./.
VNA

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