Ministry of Health assures 20K AstraZeneca COVID vaccines donated to Bahamas meet all “requirements and standards”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Consultant Physician Staff Association President (CPSA) Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler said yesterday that the batch of Oxford AstraZeneca that has been suspended in some European countries as a precaution amid some cases of blood clotting in vaccinated people is “concerning”.
She noted that the CPSA is still reviewing the matter to get a “true picture of what is happening”.
“Certainly, if those countries halted their programs, I’m expecting that they had enough cases to support that halt,” she said.
“So, absolutely it would be something that is concerning to us because blood clots certainly can be threatening to persons losing their lives and other serious illness. That, in and of itself, in the first instance, is concerning.”
Pinder-Butler said while there has been a greater push for the wider public to become healthier, it is well known that overall, the population of the nation has a “lot of health concerns”.
“With that being a potential risk, that would be concerning for us because we already have health challenges in general, and so, certainly something for us to be mindful of, as I would have learnt from the prime minister that they are starting some sort of trials I think this weekend.”
According to Pinder, the CPSA has yet to be engaged although healthcare workers are “expected to be involved in this process”.
She said: “I think that is certainly still unacceptable and they are also watching what is occurring and are prepared to keep those things in mind as we offer vaccines to our population.”
When asked about the lack of engagement yesterday, Minister of Health Renward Wells suggested there was no issue.
“At the end of the day, the Ministry of Health has persons who are a part of all of these unions,” the minister said.
He was also asked if there was some misunderstanding or miscommunication that could have led to the union’s view.
But Wells said: “No, there is no miscommunication. There is no miscommunication.”
A number of countries, including Denmark, Norway and Austria, suspended inoculations with a batch of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines as a precaution while further investigation is performed.
A 49-year-old woman died as a result of severe coagulation disorders, while a 35-year-old woman developed a pulmonary embolism and is recovering, according to the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG).
Blood clotting is not among the known side effects of the vaccine.
However, the European Union’s medicines regulator said there is no indication the vaccine is linked to an increased risk of blood clots.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it was aware of international reports that a batch of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has been suspended in some European countries.
However, it assured that the vaccines received on Wednesday differ from the batch reportedly used in the affected countries and have received all necessary regulatory approvals.
“The AstraZeneca vaccine received by The Bahamas has met all of the requirements and standards as outlined in the World Health Organization’s prequalification system, which has provided emergency use listing,” read the statement.
Wells also said he has confidence in the vaccine.
The Bahamas received 20,000 donated doses of AstraZeneca from India on Wednesday.
The prime minister announced a vaccination “trial run” will take place this weekend, before rollout next week.
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