Cape Town - A Khayelitsha family is up in arms, requesting a medical report from the Western Cape Department of Health (WCDH) after their 78-year-old father allegedly developed stroke symptoms after he was vaccinated against Covid-19.
Mntuwakhe Blom was vaccinated on June 25 at the Site C Clinic before he allegedly experienced severe fatigue and his face, upper lip, as well as his limbs on the injected side, started getting swollen and weak, and proceeded to have weak speech and what appeared to be stroke symptoms.
Blom's son Benjamin said after the family noted the symptoms, they visited the vaccine station on June 29 and the clinic's facility manager confirmed (in writing) that the only known medical condition his father had was hypertension and they could only suspect a stroke; however, they would need to investigate further as this was not a usual case.
Benjamin said he further made contact with the department's deputy director and head of office in the province so that they might consult a specialist to verify the findings of the report, as they found it rather perplexing that his father would suffer a stroke immediately after being vaccinated.
In a communication seen by the Cape Argus, Dr Kitesh Moodley, WCDH's health-care practitioner in Khayelitsha, said Blom was unaware of which vaccine his father had received and believed it to be the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Moodley said the reports of associated clots and the timing of his father’s stroke with the vaccine added to his concerns. "We’ve explained that it was the Pfizer vaccine and that the nature of the stroke was related to his father’s uncontrolled hypertension. Pfizer has been used worldwide and there haven’t been any reports of an association with stroke," said Moodley.
WCDH spokesperson Natalie Watlington said Blom had suffered a mild stroke, and that the department respected the person's medical history but felt obliged to put the circumstances into perspective.
“The clinical picture and history was suggestive of an ischaemic stroke, most likely caused by atherosclerosis as a result of his uncontrolled chronic disease," said Watlington.
However, she said, Blom was due to undergo further medical treatment which would provide further clarity and insight. "The patient will also continue to have his chronic treatment at his local clinic and will receive outpatient rehabilitation there if needed," she said.
She said the case was discussed with both the patient and the family, and a report would be issued once further medical treatment scheduled, had been completed.
UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine head Professor Landon Myer said the symptoms described may be consistent with a stroke. "A stroke would be a very unfortunate but not surprising event in a 78-year-old with hypertension," said Myer.
He said there were different causes of stroke, but he was not aware that any of those could be associated with any of the vaccines.
"The side of the body (left or right) that the vaccine was administered to does not seem relevant. The case is clearly still being actively followed up by the health services, which is very positive, and a CT scan would seem an appropriate investigation," said Myer.