According to experts, the risk of blood clots in AstraZeneca is similar to the possibility of a lightning strike.National news

The risk of serious blood clots from the Montreal-Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is similar to the possibility of a lightning strike, the doctor at the McGill University Health Center said Wednesday.

Dr. Mark Roger provided a comparison following Tuesday news that a 54-year-old Quebec woman died on April 23 from a blood clot that developed after vaccination.

Roger said Francine Boyer’s death was “absolutely tragic,” but the risk of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people is exponentially higher than in vaccinated people. high.

“The risk seems to be in the 1 / 100,000 range,” he said in an interview about blood clots. “If you put it in context, it’s the same risk of being hit by a lightning strike at some point in your life.”

About 11,000 Quebecs died of COVID-19, according to Roger, but Boyer’s death is believed to be the first vaccine-related death in Canada. The virus also causes far more blood clots than the vaccine.

In a statement released late Tuesday, Boyer’s family explained how her health deteriorated after she and her husband were vaccinated with AstraZeneca on April 9. did.

Boyer went to the hospital and died of a stroke before being transferred to the Montreal Neurological Institute because of his condition. Her husband did not develop any side effects.

According to an online obituary, Boyer was from San Remi in southern Montreal and was a mother and grandmother.

Her family urged anyone who developed the side effects of the vaccine to seek medical advice using the state telephone helpline.

“Boyer’s family wants to encourage vaccinated people to pay attention to their symptoms and abnormal reactions and to contact Info-Santé (811) in case of doubt,” the statement said. I will.

Roger said it is normal for vaccinated people to then feel sick and experience symptoms such as fever and headaches. They don’t have to go to the emergency room, he said.

Rare blood clot symptoms are different. They occur later — between 4 and 20 days after the shot — and much more dramatic, Roger explained.

He said signs of blood clots in the brain included severe headaches, altered vision, language attrition, or loss of function in one arm or leg. Chest pain or shortness of breath can be a sign of pulmonary embolism, and severe pain or swelling can be a sign of blood clots.

According to Roger, if you experience any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor right away.

Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over the age of 18 after concluding that it was safe and effective, despite evidence suggesting that it could rarely cause blood clots. The National Advisory Committee suggests that people over the age of 30 can provide an injection if they do not want to wait for another vaccine.

Quebec is vaccinating people between the ages of 45 and 79, and the state’s director of public health said Tuesday would continue its strategy.

According to Roger, experts do not yet have a complete picture of which part of the population is at greatest risk of blood clots, but women appear to be more prone than men. He said he still believes that refusing the vaccine is a more dangerous proposal for the age group eligible to be vaccinated.

“We are concerned about this complication, but the flip side of not being vaccinated is that the risk of complications is much higher,” he said.

Montreal officials said Wednesday that there are still some doses of AstraZeneca available for people over the age of 45 who want to make a promise.

The city’s director of public health, Milene Drouant, said the vaccine was provided on the principle of “informed consent.” That is, those who register will be aware of the potential risks.

“I think there are even more benefits to vaccination in terms of benefits (for risk) and risk, but everyone has to reflect appropriately,” she said. ..

Meanwhile, the state reported 1,094 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 12 deaths from the new coronavirus, including 3 in the last 24 hours. Hospitalizations decreased by 24 to 643, and the number of people in the intensive care unit decreased by 9 to 161.

The vaccine program has been expanded to include pregnant women who qualify for appointments on Wednesday.

Later that day, Quebec’s director of public health said the government was investigating the possibility of vaccination of children between the ages of 12 and 16 in the summer. Dr. Horacio Arruda, at a state legislature meeting, is following ongoing research on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, saying that the state can move quickly if injections are allowed for people under the age of 16.

This report by Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2021.