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Seven people have died in the UK from unusual blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK drug regulator MHRA reported Friday evening. It is unclear whether these were a coincidence or an actual side effect of the vaccine. The Authority emphasizes that the benefits of adopting it outweigh all risks. However, the BBC points out that two issues raise suspicions.
- United Kingdom: Seven people died from unusual blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
- It is unclear whether these were a coincidence or an actual side effect of the vaccine
- The BBC notes that two issues raise suspicions. First: the unusual nature of the clots, second: the difference between the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines
- MHRA recalls: benefits in preventing COVID-19 infection and its complications still outweigh any risks, and people should still get the vaccine
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Oxford-AstraZeneca and blood clots. European Medicines Agency: “not proven but possible”
On Thursday evening, the British Office for Registration of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (MHRA) reported that out of 18 million people who had been vaccinated with AstraZeneca by March 24, 30 had been confirmed to have developed a blood clot. On Friday night, the MHRA, when asked by the BBC if there had been any deaths in people who were given the vaccine, confirmed that seven people had died.
“ The benefits of preventing COVID-19 infection and its complications still outweigh any risks, and people should still get the vaccine when they are informed of the possibility, ” MHRA chief June Raine emphasized.
Data published by the MHRA showed 22 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), which is a type of blood clot in the brain. They were accompanied by low levels of platelets which contribute to the formation of blood clots in the body. The MHRA also found eight people with other clotting problems in addition to low platelet levels.
Research is ongoing to determine whether AstraZeneca’s vaccine causes very rare blood clots. Earlier this week, the European Medicines Agency said it was “not proven, but it is possible”.
Oxford-AstraZeneca and blood clots. BBC: Two points raise suspicions
As the BBC points out, two points raise suspicions. The first is the unusual nature of blood clots, including low levels of platelets and rare antibodies in the blood that are associated with other clotting disorders. “This raises the possibility that the vaccine may be a causative agent in these rare and atypical cases of CVST, although we do not know it yet, so more research is urgently needed,” said Prof. David Werring from the Institute of Neurology at University College London.
The second issue is the difference between the COVID-19 Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. In the UK, there have been two cases of CVST following the Pfizer vaccine, out of more than 10 million people vaccinated, but they did not have low platelet counts.
- Thrombosis. How is it related to COVID-19 and the AstraZeneki vaccine? The doctor explains
However, it is still uncertain how often such clots occur under normal circumstances. Estimates range from two to nearly 16 cases per million people each year at normal times, but the coronavirus has been linked to abnormal clotting, which may be making these clots more common, the BBC points out.
PAP / From London Bartłomiej Niedziński
You may be interested in:
- Thrombosis – causes, treatment and prevention. The six most common symptoms of thrombosis [EXPLAIN]
- How do I deal with the side effects of vaccination? [WE EXPLAIN]
- What side effects may you have after being vaccinated for COVID-19? It depends on several factors
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