ALOR STAR: The Consumer Association of Kedah (Cake) has asked the Health Ministry to focus on the treatment for patients who suffered side effects from the Covid-19 vaccines.
Its president, Yusrizal Yusoff, said Cake had been receiving complaints on side effects suffered by many patients after taking the vaccines.
He said among the common complications suffered by the complainants after taking the vaccine jabs are breathing difficulties, feeling weak and skin diseases.
"Most of them said they were well and fit prior to taking the vaccines but their health seemed to deteriorate after taking the jabs.
"They claimed that they had sought treatment at hospitals for the side effects but the doctors have brushed off any link between their sickness and the vaccines," he told the New Straits Times when contacted.
Citing an example, Yusrizal said his late father Datuk Yusoff Ismail had fallen ill after completing three doses of AstraZeneca vaccines before passing away in June 2022.
"Prior to that he was fine; he had never suffered any serious illness but after completing the vaccine shots, he began losing weight and suffering breathing difficulties.
"Doctors at the hospital could not detect his illness. He was intubated and subsequently died," he said.
Yusrizal added that it was understandable that the government had decided to roll out the vaccinations without carrying out proper clinical studies during the emergency.
However, he said the onus is now on the Health Ministry to focus on providing treatment for patients who suffer side effects from the vaccines.
"Regardless of legal action the ministry plans to take against the vaccine producers, the important thing now is what the ministry is doing to treat those who suffer from the side effects," added Ysurizal.
Yesterday, Health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry would issue a statement on Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) stemming from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine soon.
Earlier, Dr Dzulkefly was reported as saying that Malaysia had sought clarification from AstraZeneca on the matter, in relation to the side effects of its Covid-19 vaccine as reported by foreign media recently.
This comes after the pharmaceutical firm's admission in a court document that its Covid-19 vaccine can lead to a rare blood clotting side effect.
It was reported that the giant pharmaceutical firm is facing lawsuits over claims that the vaccine could cause death or serious injury, with a total of 51 cases filed in the United Kingdom High Court with claims amounting to RM595mil.
A week later, it then announced it will withdraw its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic.
The company said that it has also voluntarily withdrawn its European Union marketing authorisation, which is the approval to market a medicine in member states.
On May 5, Indonesia's National Commission for the Study and Prevention of Adverse Events Following Immunisation, along with its Health Ministry and the Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) said there were no reported cases of thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) associated with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in the republic.