"Healthy Son in His 20s Unable to Live Normally After AZ Vaccine"…Mother Appeals in National Petition

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Amid ongoing claims of severe inflammation cases related to the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine, a recent national petition has been posted describing a 20-year-old young man with no underlying health conditions who experienced extreme pain and muscle weakness throughout his body after receiving the AZ vaccine in March.

On the 2nd, a petition titled "My healthy 20-year-old son became unable to carry out daily activities overnight after receiving the AZ vaccine" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

On the 2nd, a petition was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board stating that a man in his 20s with no underlying health conditions experienced severe pain due to an inflammatory reaction in his whole-body muscles after receiving the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine.
[Photo by Blue House National Petition Board]

According to the petitioner, who identified herself as the mother of the 20-year-old young man, Mr. A, he received the AZ vaccine as a priority on March 12. On the day of vaccination, Mr. A experienced symptoms as if his whole body was sagging, but he thought it was a normal reaction and endured it. However, about two weeks later, around the end of March, symptoms such as leg numbness began, followed by pain and muscle weakness.

As the pain worsened, Mr. A was hospitalized on April 13. The petitioner said, "After two weeks of hospitalization, the cause of the pain was barely identified as 'inflammation of the whole-body muscles'." She added, "The normal inflammation marker level is 200, but my son’s level was as high as 20,000." She also said, "(My son) was so weak that he struggled to even hold a spoon and experienced such severe pain that he could not even brush his teeth."

According to the petitioner, Mr. A’s muscle tissue biopsy results have not yet been released. She said, "Other than knowing it is an autoimmune disease caused by an abnormal reaction in the muscles, we do not know the exact diagnosis," and appealed, "We are desperate to know whether he can fully regain his original healthy state."

The petitioner continued, "Currently, only thrombosis and anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) are recognized as severe side effects of the AZ vaccine." She pointed out, "Similar cases such as paralysis of limbs caused by inflammation are occurring in multiple cases, including my son’s, but 'severe inflammation cases' and 'symptoms occurring more than three days after vaccination' are not being acknowledged as causally related."

The petitioner said, "Nevertheless, I still believe vaccination should continue. Vaccination is necessary to achieve herd immunity, and I understand that no vaccine is completely free of side effects." However, she added, "Since people trust the government and get vaccinated, I believe the government must take full responsibility for any adverse cases." She strongly urged the government, "Based on multiple common cases, abnormal reactions caused by inflammation should also be recognized as vaccine side effects."

A female police officer B from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, who received the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, later showed symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage. On the 3rd, a petitioner claiming to be B's child posted a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae National Petition Board, urging a thorough investigation.
[Photo by Cheong Wa Dae National Petition Board]

Meanwhile, concerns are rising as reports of side effects related to the AZ vaccine continue to emerge. On the 4th, the police reported that a female police officer in her 50s, Ms. B, who received the AZ vaccine on the 29th of last month, showed symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage three days later, underwent surgery, and is currently being treated in the intensive care unit. Following this, a petition was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board by someone identifying as Ms. B’s child, calling for a thorough investigation.

Additionally, a case was reported where a nursing assistant in her 40s working at a hospital in Gyeonggi Province was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, an immune response-related disease, after receiving the AZ vaccine on the 12th of last month. The nursing assistant reportedly suffered headaches for a week immediately after vaccination, experienced diplopia (double vision) on the 24th, and showed symptoms of limb paralysis after being hospitalized on the 31st.

Regarding this, Kim Jung-gon, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force’s Vaccine Injury Investigation Team, stated at a regular briefing on the 26th of last month, "We have deferred a conclusion on one suspected case of severe disseminated encephalomyelitis and decided to supplement additional clinical and laboratory data for re-evaluation."

Lee Yong-bin, Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea

Regarding ongoing concerns about COVID vaccine side effects, Lee Yong-bin, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 4th, "Serious side effects have always existed with medicines in general," adding, "Even taking digestive medicine can sometimes lead to death due to side effects."

He further stated, "Turning such issues into vaccine anxiety is a dangerous attitude by the media in a situation where herd immunity must be achieved," expressing the need to be cautious about excessive concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine.

Lee also commented on the petition posted on the Blue House National Petition Board regarding the female police officer’s family who experienced side effects after vaccination, saying, "Such rare situations occur when vaccinations are conducted on a large scale," and "The government is planning appropriate measures for cases where causality has been proven or where excessive damage is claimed even if causality is not proven."

Meanwhile, pre-booking for COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly aged 70 to 74 will begin this week. Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ quarantine division, said at a regular briefing on the 5th, "From tomorrow, pre-booking for vaccination for the elderly will start," urging, "Eligible individuals should make reservations and receive vaccinations on the scheduled dates," encouraging active participation.

The government plans to administer the AZ vaccine to the elderly aged 60 to 74 over the two months of May and June, with vaccinations taking place at approximately 12,700 designated medical institutions nationwide.