Why is it in the news?
- AstraZeneca has acknowledged that its AZD1222 vaccine, manufactured as Covishield in India, can lead to low platelet counts and the formation of blood clots in “very rare”
- This admission follows a lawsuit in the UK where AstraZeneca is being sued over health claims related to its Covid-19 vaccine. A case was lodged by an individual who developed a blood clot and permanent brain injury after receiving the vaccine.
More about the news
- Further, AstraZeneca denies a generic link between the vaccine and Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) but acknowledges the possibility of TTS in very rare cases.
- Symptoms of TTS include breathlessness, chest or limb pain, red spots or bruising beyond the injection site, headaches, and numbness.
- Concerns about TTS have been raised globally, with temporary pauses in vaccine administration by several European countries in 2021 due to reported cases of blood clotting.
| · The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges TTS as a very rare risk associated with vaccines like Covishield and Vaxzevria, estimating the risk to be approximately four cases per million adults who receive the vaccine.
· In 2023, the WHO classified vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) as a subtype of TTS. |
- In India, incidents of potential thromboembolic events have been reported since Covishield’s administration began in January 2021, with at least 36 cases of TTS confirmed. The Indian government has deemed this risk “minuscule” compared to the vaccine’s benefits in preventing Covid-19 infections and deaths.
- Covaxin, India’s indigenous vaccine, has not reported any potential thromboembolic events.
