Genetics linked to rare blood clots from J&J and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines, researchers claim – WION

Researchers discovered that the rare but deadly blood clots associated with Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccines were triggered by an autoimmune response that some people may have a genetic predisposition to. This finding is expected to influence the development of future vaccines.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

According to scientists who wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday (May 15), said that adenovirus-based vaccines such as the J&J and AstraZeneca shots, which were withdrawn from the market, include a component capable of inducing blood clots in people with a genetic vulnerability. Researchers said they will try to narrow down the component and then try to eliminate it through genetic modification, as reported by Bloomberg.

Tom Gordon, head of immunology at Flinders University in South Australia, whose investigative work led to the discovery, said that the extent of susceptibility to this complication remains unknown. He described the immune reaction associated with the vaccine as "a new disease" stressing on the likelihood of more cases being documented as hematologists and intensive care specialists become more used to these conditions.

According to the Yale School of Medicine, out of over 18 million recipients of the single-dose J&J vaccine, there were 60 reported cases of the clotting disorder, resulting in nine deaths.

Also read | Plea filed inIndiastop court seeking investigation into Covid vaccine Covishield's sideeffects

Following a small number of clot-related deaths associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, it was withdrawn or restricted in Denmark, Norway, and other nations in 2021. In Australia, where the AstraZeneca shot has not been available since March 2023, the complication occurred in approximately 2-3 people per 100,000 vaccinated individuals under the age of 60. The European Commission revoked the marketing authorisation for this vaccine in March 2024.

AstraZeneca welcomes any further examination of the possible underlying mechanism of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), given that, despite extensive investigation, we do not yet understand the mechanism that can in very rare cases be a trigger for TTS, a spokesperson for the company told Bloomberg.

J&J also said that it is open to research that helps in the development of safe and effective vaccines.

More data are needed to fully understand potential factors that may be associated with this rare event, including its potential relationship with adeno- and other viruses, to draw appropriate conclusions about the underlying pathogenesis, the company said in an email sent to Bloomberg.

Also read | AstraZeneca Covid vaccine: Court case, rare side effects, admission of guilt, and more. All you need to know

Both vaccines were crucial in vaccine campaigns in the initial phases of the pandemic. An assessment indicated that the AstraZeneca vaccine potentially saved around 6.3 million lives in 2021. However, the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. were subsequently discovered to offer higher effectiveness against Covid and have been modified to address more recent virus variants.

(With inputs from agencies)

Read the original:

Genetics linked to rare blood clots from J&J and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines, researchers claim - WION