BALING: The government will be responsible for providing treatment to patients who suffered side effects from the Covid-19 vaccines, including vaccines produced by AstraZeneca.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government had the mechanism to provide necessary assistance for those suffering adverse effects from the Covid-19 vaccines.
"We have the database of the patients. We are not talking just about the AstraZeneca vaccine, whatever vaccine that was administered is linked to the Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) database.
"Thus, for those evidence-based cases related to Covid-19 vaccination, we have the mechanism in place to provide them with necessary assistance.
"We will be responsible for seeing through their treatment, that is the assurance given by the government.
"We should know the cases. In fact we have their data and history," he said at a press conference after attending the handing over of Baling Hospital's building expansion project from the Works Ministry here today.
Present were Kedah Housing, Local Government and Health Committee chairman Major (R) Mansor Zakaria and Works Ministry's director-general Badioezaman Ab Khalik.
Dr Dzulkefly was responding to the Consumer Association of Kedah (Cake) call for the ministry to focus on the treatment of patients who suffered side effects from the Covid-19 vaccines.
that its president Yusrizal Yusoff said that Cake had been receiving complaints about side effects suffered by many patients after taking the vaccines such as breathing difficulties, feeling weak and skin diseases.
Yesterday (May 9), Dr Dzulkefly was reported as saying that the ministry would issue a statement on AEFI stemming from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine soon.
He was also reported as saying earlier 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 could lead to a rare blood clotting side effect.