Recent news has highlighted pausing of the Astra Zeneca COVID vaccination in some countries due to concern about reported blood clots in a small number of people shortly after receiving the vaccination. It is important that all adverse events are reported and investigated.
The risk of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) in a healthy person is less than 1/1000 per year. We need to remember the risk of DVT/PE increases with age and that we are currently vaccinating the very oldest in our population.
Based on current evidence which has been reported as 37 per 17 million (who will be mainly over 60s) this is very low and less than the background risk associated in the general population. Thrombosis UK agree with statements from UK Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Regulatory Agency (ERA) that there appears to be no association or link between receiving this vaccination and the development of blood clots.
Read full UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) response