AstraZeneca: 9 new cases of thrombosis, 4 more deaths in France – Davide Bonaldo / Sipa USA / SIPA
Nine new cases of atypical thrombosis (clots) and two cases of coagulation disorders associated with AstraZeneca’s anti-Covid vaccine, with four additional deaths, occurred in France between April 2 and 8, according to health authorities.
Since the start of the vaccination against Covid-19 with this vaccine, there are “23 cases, including 8 deaths in total” of rare thromboses and coagulation abnormalities which have occurred in France, indicates Friday the French Agency of drug (ANSM). In total, more than 2,725,000 injections have been performed as of April 8 with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Older patients
Among these cases, “21 cases are associated with cerebral venous thrombosis and / or digestive thrombosis and two cases with isolated disseminated intravascular coagulations (DIC)”. These two cases of bleeding disorders (DICs) are part of this new update on vaccine surveillance.
The nine new cases of rare thrombosis concern people who present “a profile different from that” of the cases declared previously, notes the ANSM. The age of the patients is “higher”: “It is about four women and five men, older (average age of 62 years) who presented more digestive thromboses”.
“These new elements will be shared with the EMA”, the European Medicines Agency, as part of the European assessment of these blood problems. The previous assessment was twelve cases of thrombosis, including four deaths since the start of vaccination.
In addition, the agency reports two “signals” which will be “the subject of special monitoring”. “Two potential signals have been identified” following five new cases of facial paralysis for a total of 15 cases since the start of the vaccination and neurological damage from which people are “in the process of recovery”, specifies the ANSM.
These latest attacks represent three new cases of “acute polyradiculoneuritis (including Guillain-Barré syndrome) for a total of five cases since the start of vaccination”, according to this new assessment.
Due to the rare cases of thrombosis spotted in Europe and France, since March 19, the AstraZeneca vaccine is no longer administered to those under 55 years of age. For this category of people who have already received a dose of this vaccine, the High Authority for Health has recommended a second dose with Pfizer or Moderna.