Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government has data on adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) caused by Covid-19 vaccines and has methods to treat them.

“AstraZeneca has recalled its vaccine, and this is global. What we want to ensure is that if anyone has evidence-based concerns related to the AstraZeneca vaccine, we have ways to ensure they get assistance.

“That is the assurance given by the government. We will be able to identify such cases, and we also have a registry, we have the data,” he told a press conference here today.

Dzulkefly said the government will also be responsible for vaccine recipients from other pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac should they also encounter adverse reactions.

According to media reports, Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has said that it had begun a worldwide withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine after admitting in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts in “more than one in 10 people”.

Dzulkefly said the issue would not affect other vaccination programmes, including the national immunisation programme (NIP).

He said the NIP, a long-standing practice nationwide, has effectively bolstered childhood immunisation and prevented the spread of serious diseases.

“The Covid-19 vaccine is another matter altogether. We also have other vaccination programmes such as HPV to combat cervical cancer, and the NIP, which has proven invaluable to parents given the high cost associated with these vaccines.

“There is no dispute when it comes to this. The people are aware, have the knowledge and are informed. We will continue to educate the people,” he said.