The immunization developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford has been at the center of controversy due to its relationship with a strange type of thrombosis.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine against COVID-19 has been at the center of controversy since the beginning of 2021. In January, it was due to its manufacturing and distribution problems in the European Union, which got it into a legal dispute with the bloc. But since March there has been talk of its possible relationship with a strange type of thrombosis.
Despite this risk, which has caused several countries to restrict or cancel its application, the vaccine from the British Swedish laboratory is the only hope for many poor nations that depend on donations from the Covax mechanism.
In Mexico, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been applied to people aged 40 to 59 years. In Mexico City, it will also apply to those aged 30 to 39 years in five municipalities to combat the disease.
This is what we know about this vaccine, designed in conjunction with the University of Oxford: its expected side effects, its relationship with clot formation, the doses that are necessary, and its distribution in Mexico.
AstraZeneca Vaccine Side Effects
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the AstraZeneca vaccine can have very common adverse reactions such as the following:
- Headache
- Sickness
- Muscle pain and joint pain
- Tenderness or pain at the injection site
- Itching at the injection site
- Bruise at the injection site
- Fatigue
- Discomfort
- Temperature rise up to 37 degrees
- Shaking chills
Other common side effects include a mild transient low platelet count, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling or redness at the injection site, and a fever greater than 38 degrees. Several users of vaccines in Mexico, mainly those over 30 years of age, have reported these effects frequently.
In clinical trials of the vaccine in the UK, Brazil and South Africa, most adverse reactions were found to be mild to moderate in intensity and resolved within days of vaccination. In addition, they explain that they are more intense after receiving the first dose than after receiving the second.
Serious side effects of this vaccine
Several countries in Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in mid-March. The reason was the reports of several cases of blood problems in vaccinated people, such as the appearance of blood clots and clotting difficulties.
“This includes severe cases presenting as venous thrombosis, including unusual locations such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, splanchnic vein thrombosis, as well as arterial thrombosis (…). Some cases were fatal. Most of these cases occurred within the first three weeks after vaccination and occurred mostly in women under 60 years of age, “says the EMA in a report on the vaccine.
After an analysis of the cases, the EMA concluded in April that there is a “possible link” between thrombi and the vaccine, but it always clarified that the benefits of vaccinating with AstraZeneca continue to outweigh its risks in all age groups, although some European countries have decided to limit its use only to those over 60 years of age.
In addition, he recommended giving the second dose of this vaccine to those who have already received the first without showing serious side effects because the second injection does not have more adverse effects than the first.
Source: expansion.mx
