Hemiparesis in Sinovac recipients Thailand
Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to a number of Thais as part of the government’s inoculation program.
Recently, the vaccine has come under scrutiny after word got out about six women being treated with anticoagulants for hemiparesis at Rayong Hospital after receiving the Sinovac jab.
Covid-19 updates:
- Thailand Covid-19 approves vaccine passports for international travel
- 47 Thai provinces impose 14-day quarantine
Anticoagulants used to treat hemiparesis
Upon investigation of the cause for the patients’ hemiparesis, Director of Emerging Disease Health Sciences Faculty at the Thai Red Cross Society For Chulalongkorn Hospital and neurologist, Dr. Thiravat Hemachudha deduced that all six patients received a Sinovac shot from lot J200103001m6dik between 5th and 9th April 2021.
Further analysis suggests that their hemiparesis was caused by the vaccine agents reacting with medications that some of the patients were taking, as well as underlying medical conditions that they withheld from the hospital reported Matichon.
Six women being treated for hemiparesis in Thailand
All of the patients were sent to the Emergency Room (ER) for treatment; below is a list of released information regarding each case:
Case 1
- A 29-year-old physical therapist with a medically proven allergy to shrimp and has been consuming oral contraceptive pills for three years.
- Presented numbness in her right arm, signs of Rt. Hemi Sensory Loss and Rt. Hemiparesis.
- Admitted to the ER for three days.
Case 2
- A 33-year-old medical healthcare assistant with Thalassemias and medically proven allergy to seafood.
- Presented fatigue, heart palpitations, inconsistent chest pain, and weak right arm.
- Admitted to the ER for two days.
Case 3
- A 21-year-old financial department staff diagnosed with latent Thalassemias, a medical history of food and pharmaceutical allergies which she denied.
- Presented chest pain on the left side, heart palpitations, numbed upper arm within 21 hours of receiving the vaccine.
- Admitted to the ER for two days.
Case 4
- A 54-year-old pharmacist who regularly uses eye drops and is in remission for breast cancer, for which she got surgery and underwent chemotherapy seven years ago. She also takes prescription drugs regularly.
- Presented chest pain on the left side, heart palpitations, and a numbed upper arm.
- Admitted to the ER for two days.
Case 5
- A 25-year-old dental care assistant who denied medical history of pharmaceutical and food allergies.
- Presented numbed nape, sore arms, imaired speech, and fatigued legs.
- Admitted to the ER for one day.
Case 6
- A 27-year-old dental care assistant and financial staffer who denied food and pharmaceutical allergies, and provided false medical conditions for her uterus
- Presented fatigueness and drowsiness.
- Admitted to the ER for one day.
MRIs prove anticoagulants are effective
On 20th April 2021, Dr. Thiravat Hemachudha revealed that the anticoagulants have shown positive effects on the cases on his Facebook.
There was also another case of hemiparesis at Somdej Na SriRacha Hospital in Sri Racha, where Neurologist Dr. Aphiwat Gerdonphag stated that MRI scans showed improvement in brain activity after receiving anticoagulants.
A screenshot of Dr. Hemachudha’s post announcing the effectiveness of anticoagulants in treating hemiparesis.
Screenshot: ธีระวัฒน์ เหมะจุฑา Thiravat Hemachudha
Always provide your medical history
The cases of these patients prove that we really need to provide detailed medical conditions and history.
Covid-19 vaccine rollout in Thailand:
Cover image adapted from:ธีระวัฒน์ เหมะจุฑา Thiravat Hemachudha (Left), Clinical Trials Arena (Right)
Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.