Denmark, Norway study finds raised blood clot rates after AstraZeneca vaccine shot

Denmark and Norway have found a ‘slight rise’ in blood clots among those inoculated with AstraZeneca jab, a new study published in peer-reviewed journal BMJ has found. According to findings, re was a spike in rates of vein blood clots including clots in brain, compared with expected rates in general population. However, researchers stress that risk of such verse events is considered “low”. Scientists assembled data from those who were recently ministered ir first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Denmark and Norway’s analysis came after European Medicines Agency (EMA) stated earlier in a report that it h found a “possible link” between AstraZeneca shot and rare fatal blood clots without any age restrictions. 

However, in recent study, UK and European medicine regulators said that when incidences were compared with total population that received AstraZeneca-Oxford jab, benefits of vaccine still outweigh risks. Although, Denmark and Norway have both suspended use of vaccine as several or EU countries have. Denmark was also first country to suspend use of US’ Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shot over reports of blood clots. While research analysis published by BMJ argued that related condition impacted only a low percentage of those vaccinated, Danish health authority, last week, said at a news conference that benefits of suspended jabs did not outweigh its risks, ding that pandemic was “under control”. Deputy director-general Helene Probst told Danish media outlets that country plans to expand inoculation for younger and healthier population and it did not want to stake risks.

“In midst of pandemic, this has been a difficult decision to make as we have h to discontinue using Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca,” Probst told reporters.

Side effects within 28 days of getting first shot

As many as 280,000 people aged 18-65 received a first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Denmark and Norway from February 2021 through to 11 March 2021. Scientists extracted data from national health records and identified a range of side effects such as cardiac arrest, strokes, deep vein blood clots and bleeding events within 28 days of receiving a first AstraZeneca vaccine dose, according to BMJ study. “Researchers found 59 blood clots in veins compared with 30 expected, corresponding to 11 excess events per 100,000 vaccinations. This included a higher than expected rate of blood clots in veins of brain, known as cerebral venous thrombosis (2.5 events per 100,000 vaccinations),” said study.