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Inquiries looking into COVID-19 vaccine blood disorder reports

A Filipina who was inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine and who developed a rare blood disorder still believes strongly in the need for them as investigations are underway, with no links connecting the vaccines to the condition found.

In an article by the New York Times, 72-year-old Luz Legaspi based in the United States was reported to have been diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia, a condition with a low blood platelet count.

The same condition was reported in Dr. Gregory Michael who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Michael later died from a brain hemorrhage.

Legaspi was said to have woken up with bruises on her limbs and blisters inside her mouth three days after taking the first dose.

The cases have been forwarded to the manufacturers and are currently being investigated, but so far regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that rates did not appear higher than usual in the US population.

"We are collecting relevant information to share with the F.D.A. However, at this time, we have not been able to establish a causal association with our vaccine," Pfizer was quoted as saying in the article.

Meanwhile, Moderna was likewise quoted as saying that it "continuously monitors the safety of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine using all sources of data," but questions on the platelet disorder were not addressed.

In the same article, the New York Times said Legaspi's daughter -- who requested that her name not be used -- still firmly believed in the need for vaccines moving forward.

"Ms. Legaspi’s daughter said the last thing that she and her mother wanted to do was create fear of the Covid vaccines. Both women still believe strongly in the need for them, despite Ms. Legaspi’s illness, her daughter said," it read.

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is aware of such reports and is now looking into the matter.

"WHO is aware that there have been reports of vaccine recipients who allegedly developed rare blood disorder after receiving shots from Moderna and Pfizer," it was quoted as saying in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

"WHO is carefully monitoring the rollout of all COVID-19 vaccines. We are working closely with countries to manage potential risks, and will continue to use science and data to drive our response and recommendations," it added.

At present only Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca have secured the emergency use authority (EUA) in the Philippines, with Moderna expected to apply for one soon. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News