New study links AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to 30% higher risk of rare blood clotting condition

A large international study published in BMJ has linked AstraZeneca's nasal Covid vaccine to a 30 per cent higher risk of causing rare blood clot conditions in comparison to that of Pfizer.

Several countries worldwide have already altered the vision of Covid vaccine after it was discovered that in a tiny number of cases, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) can be a possible effect due to the use of the adenovirus sector or an "engineered" virus used by AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.

TTS is a condition where life-threatening blood clots are formed with low levels of platelets.

The research analysed over 10 million people across France, Germany, Netherlands and UK.

In its first test, data of nearly 1.3 million people with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine was compared to 2.1 million people who took the Pfizer one. After the test, a total of 862 people recorded "thrombocytopenia" within 28 days after taking AstraZeneca vaccine compared to over 500 who took Pfizer's. This clearly showed a 30 per cent high risk of the rare blood condition, AFP reported.

However, there was no additional risk in the case of the second dose in both vaccines.

Since the analysis was observational, it could not determine cause and effect. Further analyses are being carried out.

A microbiologist in the UK said the rare condition of thrombocytopenia was recorded after just 0.04 per cent of vaccines were given in Germany and UK.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was never authorised by the US. It performed poorly in its first trial as the vaccine promoted antibodies in a few participants and the immune responses were also weak in comparison to traditional jabs.