ricardo00

Yep the EU has no other options, vaccine wise unlike the US (which has many doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson&Johnson vaccines). And if any company knows how to mess things up, it is Astra Zeneca. The latest, it turns out they released data that was over a month old on the efficacy of its vaccine after completion of their trial. The independent board that oversees the Astra Zeneca clinical trial in the US released a statement today expressing "concern" about the data Astra Zeneca released, an unheard of precedent. Astra Zeneca then backtracked and said they will release the final results in 48 hours. Even if the studies turn out well, they have given people pause as to how they handle things. Not a good start for their application to the FDA for an EUA.

Doc Mck Loc: Terrell,Texas

Good info

ricardo00

Well sure this is not something the Brits want to hear, but even the UKs regulatory agency (MHRA) has acknowledged that there is a low risk of having a rare type of blood clot (not the typical kind) after receiving the Oxford Astra Zeneca COVID vaccine. This risk is higher in women under the age of 50 (30 cases in England that have been described so far). The risk is still very low though with other vaccines available where this has not been seen, it would be preferable (especially for these lower age groups), to use these alternative vaccines.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56616119

ricardo00

Yesterday the NEJM (the premier medical journal in the US) published the study of a British group on the specific type of blood clots that appear to be caused by the Oxford/Astra Zeneca COVID vaccine. All of these patients were shown to be negative for the COVID virus so clearly the virus is not responsible for these blood clots. Five of the 23 patients who got these rare type of blood clots were over the age of 55. So given a choice of vaccines, one may want to avoid the Astra Zeneca vaccine. If one doesn't have a choice, getting this vaccine still would be preferable than risking getting COVID. Anyone interested in reading the article can find it here:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2105385?query=featured_home

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Remember when birth control pills came out? They were known to cause blood clots in a percentage of women who took them, yet nobody suggested taking them off the market. I wonder why? Now, however, the J&J and perhaps Astra/Zeneca have the same problem but could save lives yet they are taken off the market. Does this suggest that sex is more important than life itself?

Note that in the J&J vaccine, 1 in a million women got blood clots and 1 in 7 million died. Perhaps a much better record than b.c. pills.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Yes, I just saw that J&J they gave 6.8 million shots, had 6 reported blood clots. A smaller number than would be expected in that population as a normal thing.