Denmark was the first country in the European Union to suspend vaccination of both Janssen and AstraZeneca. Likewise, it contemplates the possibility of administering these doses to young people who are voluntarily interested in receiving them. A strategy that France also intends to implement if future vaccinates sign a document on known risks. Spain, for the moment, does not value this possibility and maintains the prohibition of injecting AstraZeneca for those under 60 years of age.
What is the risk of thrombosis from AstraZeneca and Janssen
On April 7, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed that the occurrence of thrombi combined with low platelet levels (thrombocytopenia) should be added to the AstraZeneca vaccine adverse reaction list as a possible "very rare" side effect. . But how likely is it to get a thrombus if you've been vaccinated with AstraZeneca? Well, it is less than 0.0004% , since, among 25 million vaccinated, the number of cases identified and investigated by the EMA was 86, of which 18 were fatal.
Even lower is the proportion of blood clots among those vaccinated with Janssen : eight cases - one of them fatal - among more than 7 million people. Enough, yes, for the US health authorities to suspend the use of this vaccine on April 13 and force the Belgian-American pharmaceutical company to delay the delivery to the EU of the doses planned for EU countries.
What thrombosis have the AstraZeneca and Janssen venous sinus vaccines recorded
The Spanish Medicines Agency has included the new symptoms linked to the most serious side effects and thrombi of AstraZeneca. Specifically, it points out that after administration of Vaxzevria (the AstraZeneca vaccine), thrombosis in combination with thrombopenia, such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, splanchnic vein thrombosis (abdomen) and arterial thrombosis , can occur very rarely .
Regarding the Janssen vaccine, the six cases of thrombosis that have arisen in vaccinated people have all been registered in the cerebral venous sinuses , which are venous spaces that drain blood from the brain and the bones of the skull.
What warning symptoms should those vaccinated with AstraZeneca and Janssen have?
These side effects have a very low incidence, however, the European Medicines Agency has appealed to healthcare personnel and vaccinated people to be alert to a series of symptoms that could indicate thrombosis during the 14 days after receiving the vaccine. These indications are:
1. Difficulty breathing
2. Chest pain
3. Swelling in the leg
4. Persistent abdominal pain
5. Neurological symptoms, including severe and persistent headaches or blurred vision
6. Small spots of blood under the skin beyond the injection site
** Note: in the specific case of warning symptoms in venous sinus thrombosis, the Spanish Society of Neurology explains that the most frequent symptom is headache . But in addition, in the vast majority of patients, this headache is accompanied by other symptoms similar to those of a stroke , such as: focal deficits, loss of strength or sustained sensitivity, impaired gait or impaired language or speech , confusional episodes, loss of vision.
