Why has the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine been suspended in some countries?
Why has the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine been suspended in some countries?
Vaccine major Oxford-Astrazeneca found itself in hot waters recently after Denmark ordered the suspension of its vaccine model, AZD1222 after some of the beneficiaries developed strange side-effects, including some blood clots.
The move also forced some other countries, including Austria, Estonia, Iceland, Thailand to issue temporary orders against the vaccine.
Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine is being extensively used in India
Meanwhile, the vaccine continues to be one of the primary vaccines being administered in India, marketed under the brand name Covishield (manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India).
We brief you about the developments and what you can expect.
Why has the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine been suspended for use?
Oxford-Astrazenea's vaccine model, one of the first vaccines to enter the clinical trial mode has been surrounded by controversies of late.
The orders of the vaccine's suspension came from recommendations passed on by the Norwegian Medicines Agency recently. As per reports, the Astrazeneca vaccine, AZD1222, caused at least 3 healthcare workers in Denmark to develop dangerous blood clots and loss of blood platelets, for which they are being treated in the hospital.
There have also been around 22 reports of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) found across the UK and Europe, which were the first to approve the vaccine for widescale inoculation, and have signed up to get millions of shots in the coming weeks.
The vaccine also grabbed headlines after several unions, including the French authorities advised healthcare officials to not dose senior citizens with the jab, citing safety concerns.
How effective is the vaccine?
The Oxford-Astrazeneca jab, which received regulatory nods worldwide in December 2020 carries an efficacy rate of over 80%, which is at par with other approved vaccines.
The vaccine is also being used in many countries, and considered to be an economical buy too.
While Denmark's health authorities and other global leaders have pressed for the temporary suspension as a "precautionary" measure, it should be noted that the vaccine has not been found to elicit serious side-effects. The authorities have also cited that even with the concerns, the benefits of the vaccine, right now, outweigh the risks and hence, people should still get actively vaccinated.
What are the side-effects we should know about?
According to the vaccine factsheet, the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine is said to cause minor reactogenic side-effects, most of which are temporary in nature.
The guidelines present on the Covishield (Indian version of the vaccine) mention that the possible list of side-effects includes pain, warmth, itching, bruising, fatigue, chills, fever, nausea, muscle ache, lumps and malaise.
Severe side-effects such as extremely high temperature (over 102 degrees Farhenheit), coughing, breathing difficulties, nervous problems, anaphylaxis are possible, though rare.
Clinical trials and early inoculation drives also observed the vaccine to cause certain neurological problems, which were later ruled out to be related to the vaccine.
The only people advised to consider skipping the dose are the ones who may have serious allergies to the vaccine ingredients right now.
Can COVID-19 vaccines cause blood clots?
Vaccines are said to spark off immune reactions in the body, which mostly mimic infectious symptoms.
Blood clots and other related adverse reactions aren't categorized as classic side-effects of vaccination right now.
That being said, there have been some reports of people developing some strange reactions after getting vaccinated which disrupt vital blood flow, including blisters, bruises, thrombocytopenia (lack of platelets essential to blood clotting) and other symptoms of blood disorders with one or more COVID-19 vaccines being used right now.
While scientists are still studying to understand as to why it happens, or whether or not it's a direct impact of the vaccine shots, haematologists believe that the disorders or rare symptoms could be fueled by an unknown predisposition in some people reacting to the vaccine, making them suffer from an autoimmune response that destroys their own platelets and may cause clotting. However, experts still feel that the reaction, though serious is extremely rare at this point and needs further investigation.
What should beneficiaries in India know right now?
Following global observations and halts, India's medical boards have also ordered a review of the Oxford vaccine and post-vaccination side-effects since the vaccine has a relatively wider reach in India right now.
Authorities have so far, found no reason to order suspension as the number of adverse reactions have been observed to be extremely rare right now. Independent observations by Astrazeneca have also found the occurrence of blood disorders and fatal side-effects to be on the lower side.
Therefore, without established proof or clinical evidence, there's no real reason to worry right now. However, the only thing we must be cautious about is the presence of post-vaccination side-effects right now.
If you suspect suffering from an allergic reaction, or have a pre-existing blood disorder, or are on blood thinners, inform a doctor at the earliest. Remember, adverse and serious aftereffects can be treated well if diagnosed and reported in time.
Vaccination remains to be one of the effective keys to defeating the pandemic. Hence, hesitancy should be done away with.