AstraZeneca injections have a slightly higher risk of bleeding problems, according to a new study

Those who have been vaccinated against the new coronavirus produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca have a slightly higher risk of bleeding disorders and may develop other rare blood problems, researchers said Wednesday. reported.

The results of a survey of 2.53 million adults in Scotland who first received either the vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca or Pfizer BioN Tech Published in Nature Medicine. About 1.7 million shots were AstraZeneca vaccines.

This study did not show an increased risk of blood disease with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is not licensed for use in the United States, but is licensed by the European Medicines Agency, the highest drug regulatory body in the European Union, and many countries outside the block. However, reports of rare coagulopathy and bleeding disorders in young adults have resulted in deaths in some countries, limiting vaccine use to the elderly in many countries and completely discontinuing it in some countries. Did.

A new study found that the AstraZeneca vaccine was associated with a slight increased risk of a disease called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The risk was estimated to be 1.13 cases per 100,000 people who received the first dose up to 27 days after vaccination. This estimate will add to the typical UK incidence before the vaccine was used (estimated to be 6 to 9 cases per 100,000 people).

The condition was treatable and none of the vaccinated cases was fatal, the researchers said. They emphasized that the benefits of the vaccine far outweighed the small risks, Covid. He pointed out that it is much more likely to cause ITP than a vaccine by itself.

However, the researchers also wrote that although the risk of AstraZeneca’s vaccine is small, “if supply permits, an alternative vaccine for individuals at low risk for Covid-19 may be guaranteed.”

It’s not surprising that a small number of vaccinated people have ITP, researchers said, with measles, mumps, rubella vaccination, and hepatitis B and influenza vaccinations increasing the risk slightly. Pointed out that.

In a commentary published with the study, blood disease experts say that diagnosing ITP can be difficult and the potential relevance needs further analysis. However, they write, “Nevertheless, the risk of vaccination-induced ITP at the proposed rate seems to be much lower than the many risks associated with Covid-19 itself.”

A study in Scotland also found a very slight increase in the risk of arterial thrombosis and bleeding that may be associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, researchers said there were not enough data to conclude that the vaccine was associated with a rare type of blood coagulation in the brain called cerebral vein sinus thrombosis. Earlier this year, these Cerebral thrombosis reports have suspended or restricted the use of vaccines in some countries.

Researchers could not rule out an association with stroke, but said there were not enough cases to analyze.

Cerebral thrombosis is “as rare as a hen’s tooth,” the study’s lead author, Professor Aziz Sheikh of the University of Edinburgh, said at a news conference.

Similar concerns have been raised regarding rare diseases associated with stroke and bleeding, primarily in young women, related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved in the United States and other countries. With six US cases, including one death, federal health officials ordered the suspension of vaccine use in April.Is The suspension was lifted after 10 days, And vaccines have been revived with a label that warns consumers of the risk of blood clots and the availability of other vaccines. Several more cases were subsequently identified, and doctors were advised to avoid using the standard treatment heparin, as these cases can exacerbate the condition.

Caused by coagulation risk Denmark declines Use the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines use so-called viral vectors to carry genetic material to recipient cells, and some researchers say the vector can lead to rare blood disorders. It suggests that. It is unknown if there is a connection.

The authors of the Scottish study said it was unclear whether the findings on the AstraZeneca vaccine would affect the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.