DOH officially resumes AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination

FILE PHOTO: This file photo taken on March 11, 2021, shows vials of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Paris.  (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Friday the official resumption of vaccination with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible population.

The DOH previously adopted the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to temporarily suspend, pending review, the use of AstraZeneca shots for those aged below 60 years old following reports of very rare cases of Vaccine-Induced Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia (VITT).

VITT is a very rare condition of blood clots associated with low platelet counts that can occur four to 28 days after receiving a viral vector vaccine such as AstraZeneca.

“After discussions with the DOH All Experts Group and the Philippine College of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (PCHTM), it was concluded that there are currently no known risk factors for VITT and that the benefits of receiving the vaccine against COVID-19 still outweighs the risk,” the DOH said in a statement.

The DOH All Experts Group on Vaccines is composed of experts from the DOST Vaccine Expert Panel, Health Technology Assessment Council, Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, National Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee, and DOH Technical Advisory Group for COVID-19.

However, the health department added that specific guidelines and measures will still be enforced to mitigate the risks of vaccination.

According to DOH, updated guidelines on the management of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) particularly for VITT were also released by the PCHTM.

“Based on the guidelines, all vaccination sites should have a strengthened post-vaccination surveillance to spot possible AEFI. Further, all healthcare workers in vaccination sites will be trained to detect and manage possible symptoms of VITT and refer them accordingly to the appropriate health facility for  definitive work-up and management,” the DOH added.

To date, the NAEFIC and the FDA have not detected any local VITT cases.

The DOH noted that the resumption is timely as two million doses of the vaccine from the British-Swede firm are expected to arrive in the country this month.

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The DOH also urged those already vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca to get their second dose of the vaccine. The interval for receive two doses of the AstraZeneca product is from four to 12 weeks.

“The benefits of additional protection against COVID-19 could only be achieved by completing both doses of the vaccines. The DOH also reminded the public to practice the minimum public health standards to curb the transmission of COVID-19 even after getting vaccinated,” it added.

EDV