Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has expressed regret over the death of a senior monk at a Bangkok temple a few hours after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, and said the man was unwell and the vaccine might not have been the cause.
Mr Anutin said on Friday that an autopsy would determine cause of death of the monk, a 71-year-old assistant abbot at Wat Samphanthawong.
However, he was confident the monk’s death was not a result of receiving the vaccination, despite the timing.
The Covid-19 vaccine’s safety had been tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Medical Sciences before being rolled out, he said.
The minister said there was no reason for the public to panic about vaccination.
People should await the autopsy results, he said. The ministry would never conceal the facts.
The assistant abbot was reported to have had severe diabetes and high blood pressure. He was given a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine about 10am on Wednesday and was found dead in his quarters about 2pm.
Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said that between Feb 28 and April 1, a total of 166,243 people had received the first jab of Covid-19 vaccine, and 37,407 had a second dose.
Only four people developed severe undesirable symptoms, which included a rash, and all recovered after being given an antihistamine. – Bangkok Post
