Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has remained in the headlines after reports surfaced that it admits its COVID-19 vaccine can cause a rare blood clotting side effect. Now, Australian researchers have discovered a link between vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VIT), a rare complication linked to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shots and a rare but life-threatening blood illness contracted through other people with colds.
According to Adelaide’s Flinders University, antibodies to VITT and an adenovirus-like disorder VITT are practically concentrated in molecular signatures or fingerprints.
“These findings, an entirely new technique for targeting blood antibodies developed at Flinders University, involve a non-unusual trigger in the virus and vaccine structures that initiates pathological PF4 antibodies,” said Professor Tom Gordon of the university, quoted by 9news. com. at.
The researchers said those findings will have implications for the vaccine and safety.
What is VITT?
VITT is a rare illness seen in other people who have received adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccines, such as AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria and Johnson’s Janssen.
The adverse reaction led to blood clots and low platelet counts in healthy adults.
VITT is marked through “venous or arterial thrombosis, specifically at sites, adding venous thrombosis of the cerebral sinus (CSVT)/splanchnic thrombosis; mild to severe thrombocytopenia (low platelet count); and heparin-positive PF4 ELISA (“HIT” ELISA). “according to the American Society of Hematology.
HIT stands for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, an immune complication that can occur in patients exposed to heparin-containing products.
Thrombosis refers to a blood clot in the blood vessels that restricts the outflow of red fluid from the body.
Symptoms of VITT include persistent headache, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, easy bruising or bleeding, nausea, and vomiting.
People with VITT have their immune reaction compromised and produce antibodies that can attach to one of the body’s proteins called platelet four (PFfour), according to The Conversation.
TTS & VITT
AstraZeneca has stated in documents in the UK that its COVID-19 vaccine, in rare cases, can lead to thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).
TTS is a broader category that can be activated by a vaccine or not mediated by immunity. According to ScienceDirect, “VITT may be one of several entities that fall within immune-mediated TTS. “
A 2022 study in Lancet Global Health found that AstraZeneca reported rates of 8. 1 TTS cases per million people who won the first dose of its COVID-19 vaccine and 2. 3 cases per million after other people won the second dose. Cases were found in the Nordic countries (17. 6 per million doses) and the lowest in Asian countries (0. 2 per million doses).
Rithaika Sri Omtri, 18, received the first dose of Covishield in May 2021 in Hyderabad. According to a report by Scroll, five days after being vaccinated, she felt a tingling sensation in her hands and, later, a peak fever.
As his fever did not subside for a few days, a doctor recommended a blood test which revealed that his platelets had dropped to a dangerously low point of 40,000 per cubic millimeter, to an overall concentration of 1. 5 lakh to 4 lakh.
More than 10 days later, Rithaika vomited and may no longer walk. An MRI of his brain showed he had several blood clots and bleeding in the right frontal region, Scroll reported.
Despite efforts to save her, she declared herself brain dead two weeks after her vaccination.
Rithaika had suffered from “vaccine-induced thrombotic (immune) thrombocytopenia,” Scroll reported.
AstraZeneca CT scan
The pharmaceutical giant has been under surveillance since its admission was revealed. People who took their COVID-19 vaccine began to question its safety. However, experts said the side effects gave the impression that in the first few weeks after taking the vaccine they didn’t want to worry now.
Recently, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured through the Serum Institute of India (SII) and sold as Covishield in India, had been recalled for several reasons.
With input from agencies