A Man from Malang Went Blind After Receiving AstraZeneca Vaccination

TheIndonesia.co - An Indonesian woman claimed her husband went blind after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine in September.

In a Facebook group post, Titik Andayani from Malang, East Java, said that after receiving the first jab in September 3, 2021, her husband suffered from blindness. She added that previous medical assessments showed he was in normal condition and had no pre-existing diseases.

Head of Malang Health Office Husnul Muarif confirmed the case but said cause of blindness is still investigated.

“[The news is] true. Experts are still examining the cause,” Muarif said in Malang on Wednesday, December 1.

He said authorities are now handling the case, and the person is currently being treated and monitored at Saiful Anwar Regional Public Hospital in Malang.

Andayani also confirmed that her husband’s condition has improved by up to 70 percent. However, she said Malang’s municipal government hasn’t reached out to her family while her husband undergoes the treatment.

“I’ve sent message to Mr. Sutiaji [Malang’s mayor] and his wife Mrs. Widayati to ask for their help because since the vaccination, my husband hasn’t been able to work,” she said.

In the meantime, COVID-19 handling efforts continue in the country, and the Indonesian government and the Task Force continue to distribute coronavirus vaccine to Indonesians. As of Wednesday, more than 140.2 million people in Indonesia have received at least the first jab while 96.5 million are already fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the third or booster jab has been given to 1,222,471 people.

278 new cases were reported, also on Wednesday, bringing the accumulated figure to 4,256,687 infections.

Ten more people have died from the coronavirus, and the total death toll has now reached 143,840.