UK to offer under-30s alternative to AstraZeneca vaccine due to a rare blood clot risk

The UK has recommended not using AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine on those under the age of 30 after drug regulators due to a rare blood clot risk. The authorities have said that people below the age of 30 should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine. This decision comes after the European Medical Agency found a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare clots but both the regulators in the United Kingdom and European Union have mentioned that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for most people.

Possible connection between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots

Wei Shen Lim of the Joint Committee on vaccination in a press conference said that adults below the age of 30 should be given an alternative COVID-19 vaccine instead of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The decision came after the EU drug regulator said that there is a possible connection between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said that AstraZeneca has caused blood clots in an extremely small number of cases. Its review found that 79 people in the UK suffered blood clots due to the vaccine, Out of these 79 people, 18 persons had lost their lives. 44 cases of 79 cases were of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVSS). 35 cases were of thrombosis in other major veins with thrombocytopenia. 79 cases occurred in 51 women and 28 men, aged between 18 to 79 years. It should be noted that more women have been vaccinated with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca than men. They said that the 20.2 million covid-19 vaccines have been given to the people AstraZeneca this proves that blood clots if approximately for people in 1 million who receive the vaccine.

Dr. John Raine, MHRA Chief Executive said that over 37 million have been inoculated in the UK. He further said that no medicine or vaccine comes without risk. He said that the safety of people is of utmost importance and every report of suspected side is thoroughly analysed. 

No effective medicine or vaccine is without risk. We continually monitor safety during widespread use of any vaccine. This is to ensure vaccines are performing as expected, to identify any new side effects that may arise, and to ensure the benefits continue to outweigh the risks, he said.

The public’s safety is always at the forefront of our minds and we take every report of a suspected side effect very seriously indeed. We thoroughly analyse each and every report as we receive it and although the number of reports of CVST and other thromboembolic events has increased over the last week, so has the overall number of vaccinations administered, therefore these blood clots remain extremely rare and unlikely to occur, he added.

European Union and UK regulators held simultaneous press conferences on April 7. They announced the results of investigations into reports of blood clots due to the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU agency described the clots as "very rare" side effects. Dr. Sabine Straus of EMA's safety committee said that the best data is coming from Germany where one case in 100,000 doses has a rare blood clot. The agency further said that based on present evidence, it was not able to identify specific risk factors. Emer Cooke, the agency’s executive director said that blood clot should be mentioned as a possible side effect of the vaccine.

The reported cases of unusual blood clotting following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine should be listed as possible side effects of the vaccine.

(Image Credits: ANI/AP)

(Inputs from The Associated Press)