The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the nation’s first case of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in a patient who had received a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The center on Tuesday announced that about 260,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been distributed to local governments.
The doses are expected to cover all eligible people in the first to third priority groups for vaccination in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as all eligible people in the first priority group in other cities and counties, it said.
A total of 33,359 people received a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday. The nation has administered 500,577 doses of the shot since launching a vaccination drive on March 22, CECC statistics showed.
Following yesterday’s announcement of the TTS case, the center urged people who received a vaccine to watch for warning signs of rare, but severe side effects.
The case is a man in his 30s who received the first dose of the AstraZeneca shot on May 12, the Ministry of Health and Welfare Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convener Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎) said.
He developed adverse effects, including a fever, after vaccination, which subsided within three days, Lee said.
However, the man developed a mild fever, a persistent headache and abdominal pain on May 19, he said.
He sought treatment, and a blood test found that he had thrombocytopenia — a low blood platelet count — and a high D-dimer level — indicating that a blood clot has formed — Lee said, adding that other examinations showed that the man did not have blood clotting in the head or the abdomen.
The man’s platelet count returned to normal following treatment and he is in a stable condition, Lee said.
Committee specialists have deemed the man’s condition to meet the Brighton Collaboration’s interim case definition of TTS, Lee said.
The committee considers it to be the first case of TTS following COVID-19 vaccination in Taiwan, he said.
“People who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine should look out for symptoms, including a severe and persistent headache, blurred vision, epilepsy or severe and persistent abdominal pain for more than 24 hours, severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, swelling or pain in the lower limbs, bruises, purple spots or blood blisters under the skin,” Lee said.
If any of the symptoms occurs within 28 days of receiving the vaccine, people should seek medical attention immediately and tell the doctor about the vaccination, so that appropriate treatment can be administered.
VACCINATION PROGRAM
Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that an expanded large-scale COVID-19 vaccination program is being prepared, which would employ local clinics as vaccination sites, set up community vaccination stations and introduce an online vaccination booking platform.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman, said the program would be launched as soon as Taiwan has a sufficient vaccine stock — likely between this month and August — and the goal is to administer at least 1 million doses each week.
About 300 hospitals would administer about 540,000 doses per week and 200 public health centers would administer 100,000 doses, Chuang said.
An estimated 800 clinics this month and up to 2,000 clinics in August would also serve as vaccination sites, administering up to 600,000 doses per week, he said.
Community vaccination stations would be set up in public and private venues, such as borough warden offices and outlets of Pxmart, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, Chuang said.
Outreach services, such as having healthcare professionals administer vaccines at large companies or military bases, or at large public venues, such as sports halls, would also be set up, he said.
Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) is planning the online vaccination booking platform, which would be similar to the mask preorder system, allowing people to book a vaccination appointment at least a week prior using the National Health Insurance mobile app, as well as service kiosks at the nation’s four major convenience store chains or at pharmacies, he said.
The ministry’s Department of Nursing and Health Care has also begun recruiting healthcare professionals to help administer vaccines, and 7,790 people have applied so far, he added.
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