Rare Thrombosis Case Confirmed After First Domestic Vaccine Dose... AZ Vaccination in Man in His 30s

AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The first confirmed case of thrombocytopenic thrombosis (a rare thrombosis) following vaccination with a viral vector COVID-19 vaccine has been identified in South Korea.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), stated at the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 31st, "A case of thrombocytopenic thrombosis, known as a side effect after vaccination, has been confirmed for the first time in the country."

According to the task force, the patient is a man in his 30s working in a vulnerable facility who received the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine. After receiving the vaccine on the 27th of last month, he visited a medical institution on the 9th due to severe headaches and received treatment. However, the headaches persisted, and on the 12th, he experienced seizures and was hospitalized.

The attending medical staff diagnosed cerebral venous thrombosis, cerebral hemorrhage, and epilepsy through examinations after hospitalization, and considering the vaccination history, initiated early treatment based on the "Thrombocytopenic Thrombosis Response Guidelines." The patient's condition subsequently improved, and although ongoing observation is required, no major issues have been identified.

The medical institution reported the adverse reaction of the patient on the 27th, and based on the epidemiological investigation conducted by Seoul City, the task force held a meeting of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Advisory Committee on the 30th, concluding that the case clinically met the definition of rare thrombosis. The final positive confirmation was made through confirmatory testing on the 31st. The task force plans to proceed with compensation procedures for the patient to ensure prompt compensation.

As of midnight on the day, a total of 3,272,110 people have received the first dose of the AZ vaccine, and this is the first confirmed case of rare thrombosis. The incidence rate is 0.3 cases per one million people. The task force evaluated this as a low level compared to 9.5 cases in the UK and 10 cases in the European Union (EU). The task force explained that it will strengthen the monitoring system going forward and enhance diagnosis and treatment responses through cooperation with professional societies such as the Korean Neurological Association and the Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.