Developed by a small group of the most talented vaccine scientists on the planet and industrially produced by the leading pharmaceutical giant with many prestigious certifications, Vaxzevria (the official new name for the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe) has been making hot headlines for many months. But not the kind that manufacturers have high expectations for. Months later, the manufacturer was not only caught in the political conflict between the EU and the UK, but also by the increasingly complicated conflicts. As a result, many governments around the world have recovered parts of Vaxzevria (some countries call it Covishield). Even when the third wave of outbreaks broke out in Germany and the EU, followed by a number of people claiming they wanted to be injected with any vaccine except for AstraZeneca. What’s wrong with that? The following survey by reporters Der Spiegel has reorganized the stories surrounding AstraZeneca in recent weeks to envision the disaster facing not only the pharmaceutical company but also many other countries. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (center) in an AstraZeneca vaccine factory. The Story of AstraZeneca The story of Vaxzevria begins at the Faculty of Medicine Nuffield, a research center on the eastern edge of the University of Oxford city. On January 30, 2020, a group of prominent researchers gathered there, just one day before the Brexit event and one day before the first two COVID-19 infections were announced in the UK, to be exact. is in York, 300 km away. For weeks, researchers continuously watched news about an outbreak of a virus in Wuhan (China), in a restless mood. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s governmental capacities are fully focused on leaving the EU, scientists at Oxford discuss how they can do to save the world. Among those present that day was Sarah Gilbert (a mediocre professor at the Jenner Institute) who was experimenting with yeast in a brewing research laboratory before becoming a world-renowned vaccine expert. Ms. Gilbert has researched on vaccines against malaria, Ebola and MERS, and is also preparing vaccines for “Disease X” – the next major pandemic that scientists are working on. . Ms. Gilbert (who has been studying the SARS-CoV-2 genetic code for weeks) has surprised colleagues by asserting that a vaccine will soon be available. At the time, Ms. Gilbert was working on phase 2 of Phase 1 clinical trials of a vaccine against MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) caused by a virus in the coronavirus family. By March 2020, Oxford experts have completed the first batch of new vaccines used to destroy SARS-CoV-2. The swine clinical trials in Surrey County have shown promising results. But obviously a huge amount of vaccine is needed, as much as possible. So Oxford started looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry, and the first choice was pharmaceutical giant Merck (USA). But because Mr. Donald Trump’s “America First” thought made the British hesitant when working with Americans and the deal with Merck broke down. Speaking later on LBC radio, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock posted on the forum explaining that he did not want to enter into a contract that would allow the first batch of Oxford vaccine to be given to other countries. In April 2020, AstraZeneca’s Anglo-Swedish joint idea was born. Mr. Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca. Pascal Soriot and AstraZeneca When Pascal Soriot took over AstraZeneca in 2012, the company was at a bottom: stock prices plummeted, and the risk of losing its drug patents. Soriot is deep into AstraZeneca: instead of reducing costs, he invested in product development, bought more companies, and resisted Pfizer’s American acquisitions. Today, AstraZeneca is the 2nd largest company in the UK. At the age of 61, Mr. Soriot soon learned to build himself. Raised up in the Paris suburbs and his father passed away when his son Soriot turned 20 years old. Soriot then enrolled in the Paris Business School (HEC) and entered the pharmaceutical industry. In 2020, AstraZeneca’s CEO Soriot announced that his company was planning to tackle a very difficult public health problem: producing vaccines against COVID-19. AstraZeneca initially announced a partnership with Sarah Gilbert and other Oxford scientists. AstraZeneca plans to export vaccines globally at prices ranging from $ 2 to $ 5, and aims that poor countries will have access to vaccines as quickly and equally as possible. At the same time, Soriot also assured Prime Minister Boris Johnson that would provide the first and exclusive large quantity of vaccine to the UK. However, the AstraZeneca staff said that Soriot was subjective in not considering the possible consequences of failure. Without hesitation, Soriot approaches the vaccine strategy as it does with all of its projects. AstraZeneca is committed to producing 300 million doses of the vaccine for the EU by mid-2021, as well as another 100 million doses for the UK. AstraZeneca is producing Vaxzevria in at least four plants in Europe; Two of them are Oxford Biomedica and Cobra Biologics (both located in the UK); The other two facilities are Thermo Fisher and Halix (located in Belgium and the Netherlands). The four factories are operated by subcontractors, not by AstraZeneca. And at least two of them have had problems right from the start. At first, Thermo Fisher produced fewer vaccines than expected. And Cobra Biologics does not work synchronously. The Dutch health expert, Wilbert Bannenberg, was not surprised by AstraZeneca’s vaccine production glitch when it came to the hundreds of ingredients used in vaccines like Vaxzevria, even with small deviations in the ingredients. The raw material also causes the finished product to be discarded. By the end of 2020, it was clear that AstraZeneca was having difficulty in the contracts it had to make. Soriot is wondering whether to leave the UK or leave the EU. And the owner of Downing Street began to form a specialized vaccine force consisting of famous experts and scientists. Led by biochemist and venture capitalist Kate Bingham, the force not only created multipurpose vaccines for the British, but also built the UK vaccine industry. In other words, the UK offered vaccine developers an offer they could hardly turn down. Gambling customers’ trust Vaxzevria is the third vaccine to be approved in Europe, after BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna. But by the fall of 2020 it appears that AstraZeneca’s pandemic studies have become inaccurate. For example, about 3,000 test subjects received half an injection for their first phase, and a full dose for the second injection. Both Oxford and AstraZeneca disagreed in the notion that half the dose was an attempt to act. good idea. AstraZeneca has been criticized because it basically ended up calculating the mean of the data for different groups of test subjects. An even bigger problem is the lack of seniors to include in the study. The Standing Committee on Immunization (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (Germany’s center for disease control) initially recommended AstraZeneca only test 18 to 64 years old, and invisibly turned the island. Inoculation in Germany is wrong. With a feeling of discomfort from a congestion in the vaccine supply, and not yet on any scientific basis, but French President Emmanuel Macron has declared the AstraZeneca vaccine “does not budge at all for people over 65” . Since that time, the vaccine has been ranked 2 in every European country except the UK. In the US, the AstraZeneca vaccine has not even been approved even though President Trump ordered 300 million doses required by the end of May 2020. At first it seemed that AstraZeneca was not completely transparent with Americans when covering the truth about A test subject fell ill at an early stage of the trial. But that is not the last malfunction. In March 2021, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic infections. But US officials believe that the pharmaceutical company’s data is out of date and may falsify the results. In March 2021, news began to circulate threatening to destroy confidence in AstraZeneca. In some countries, people vaccinated with the Vaxzevria vaccine have developed an embolism caused by a blood clot in the brain, also known as sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT). On 29 March 2021, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (German institution of health management) recorded 31 cases of CSV out of 2.7 million vaccinated people in Germany. Most affected young women. 9 people died. Fearful, some countries have now ended contact with AstraZeneca. Until recently, the European Medicines Agency (EUMA) admitted for the first time that there is a link between thrombosis and Vaxzevria, but EUMA still recommends the Vaxzevria vaccine for all age groups. According to a survey, 23% of French people consider Vaxzevria safe, in Germany it is 32%. Norway and Denmark stopped using the vaccine Vaxzevria. Thrombosis and death were also seen in Britain for the first time. Oxford University has suspended a vaccine trial in children. Experts are on the verge of despair. Ms. Nina Gatter (a vaccinator from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) criticized AstraZeneca when saying that the company did not properly display concerns from the skeptical psychology of public opinion. In Europe, there has been growing skepticism and has delayed the vaccination campaign. Many were vaccinated later than planned, while others used different vaccines. Consequences affect the chain elsewhere. The Covax initiative is currently heavily dependent on the AstraZeneca vaccine. The consequences of this lack of trust can be seen in South Africa. The government stopped vaccinating people after it discovered a mutation. The slow results of the COVID-19 vaccinations in South Africa, meaning substances created with the hope of saving the world, are now piled up in stock.

The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of funding to develop the above plan. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to lack of supply. (Source: Reuters) Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute said they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the entire country of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable of producing AstraZeneca’s vaccines, with the initial plan being that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supply, as well as the safety of the vaccine in relation to the side effects of thrombosis. (Reuters)

Acting Premier of Victoria, James Merlino. (Source: abc.net.au) On the morning of April 21, Mr. James Merlino, acting Premier of Victoria ( Australia ) announced that it would provide AUD 50 million (approximately US $ 38.6 million) to launch a project to develop vaccine production technology for mRNA at state vaccine research facilities. Under the project, it will take at least 12 months for Australia to be able to produce any vaccine under it mRNA technology . The move will pave the way for vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer and Moderna to be produced in Australia, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Sydney. The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of the funding to develop the above plan. Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute say they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the whole of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable vaccine production of AstraZeneca with the initial plan that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination work COVID-19 Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supplies, as well as the safety of this vaccine related to the side effects of thrombosis.

Covid-19 vaccination for medical staff – Photo: Minh Anh The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested vigilance, monitoring, early detection and timely management of rare human events after Covid-19 vaccination with suspected immune thrombocytopenia. , scattered blood clots in the lumen, cerebral venous thrombosis. The rate of thrombosis after AstraZeneca vaccination is 4.6 / 1 million doses of the first injection, Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is 0.2 / 1 million doses of the first injection. Thrombosis after AstraZeneca vaccination is mainly seen in women, in Germany there are 29 out of 31 women with thrombosis are women. The rate of blood clotting after AstraZeneca vaccination in young people is higher than in the elderly, especially in the age group 20-29. After vaccination AstraZeneca, the phenomenon of blood clotting seems less likely to occur in people over 60 years old, only about 0.2 / 1 million doses of the first injection. Complications of coagulation after AstraZeneca vaccination depend on genetic factors, underlying disease, lifestyle, medications, factor V Leiden (risk of blood clots). According to the clinical symptom guidelines, the above events are rare and usually appear 4 to 28 days after Covid-19 vaccination with persistent, severe headache; localized neurological symptoms; convulsions, blurred vision, or double vision; difficulty breathing or chest pain; stomachache; pain, swelling of the lower extremities. In particular, patients rarely present with bleeding, skin hemorrhage, or internal bleeding. The Ministry of Health believes that lower level medical facilities can completely handle the clotting phenomenon According to the Ministry of Health, at commune, ward, district or equivalent health centers of grade IV, people should be monitored after vaccination. If at least 1 of the above clinical symptoms appears, it is necessary to transfer the person after Covid-19 vaccination to a higher level or seek emergency treatment if any. In the case of the district hospital, district or equivalent grade III, after injection appears one of the above symptoms need to carry out the following tests: Count the platelet count; basic coagulation tests; quantitative D-dinmer assay; Ultrasound, X-ray exploration … In case of after injection, symptoms need to be transferred to higher level for treatment. At the provincial, city or equivalent level II health facilities, basic tests are needed to count platelet count, and basic coagulation test; quantitative D-dimer assay; imaging tests to assess thrombosis and bleeding; perform other exploration if available. In cases beyond the capacity of diagnosis and treatment, it is necessary to consult a higher level specialist. At the central grassroots level or equivalent grade I, the special class will take in people after vaccination with severe complications transferred by the levels, and carry out all necessary investigations for diagnosis and treatment according to the diagnosis and treatment guidelines of the Ministry of Health; Consult experts as needed. According to the Ministry of Health, by the morning of April 23, an additional 20,203 people were vaccinated against Covid-19 of AstraZeneca. Thus, from March 8 to now, a total of 128,610 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 of AstraZeneca phase 1 and phase 2 in 28 provinces and cities and have not recorded any cases of blood clots later. injection.

COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. Photo: AFP / VNA On April 13, US federal health authorities recommended to suspend the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for “cautious” reasons, awaiting the results of investigating the possible link between the vaccination. this with thrombotic side effect. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reviewing six cases of thrombosis following the vaccination. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, on April 15, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci hopes that US regulators will soon make a quick decision on resuming Johnson & Johnson’s vaccination, bringing the vaccine back. immunization program. The day before, the US CDC advisory committee postponed at least a week to vote on whether to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to wait for more data on thrombotic risks. Mr. Fauci feared that the prolonged delay of the vaccine could affect people’s hesitancy. “I think we need to continue to emphasize that this is a very effective and usable vaccine that is very, very valuable in a global context,” he said. Following the US, some countries have made similar moves with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
On April 13, the South African Ministry of Health announced it had suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the country’s vaccination program, although South Africa has not received a report related to coagulation after 290,000 people in the country. has received the COVID-19 vaccine from the brands. Two weeks ago, South Africa licensed the use of vacicne Johnson & Johnson and so far only vaccinated this vaccine to health workers in the study framework. Before the above developments, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that the country has not decided whether to launch the Johnson & Johnson vaccine injection this week or not. He stated that the Netherlands will wait for information from the European Pharmaceutical Authority (EMA) before making a decision. In contrast, some countries continue to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Belgium has said it will not stop the vaccination at this stage. Poland started to vaccinate Johnson & Johnson when the government confirmed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, Spanish officials have not received the notice of stopping the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it is monitoring global data of various reports to see if similar cases occur elsewhere, and it will take time. Time to evaluate vaccine data from Johnson & Johnson. Denmark completely discontinues the AstraZaneca vaccine; Thailand is still considered the mainstay Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-O-Cha (middle) was vaccinated against COVID-19 by AstraZeneca company in Bangkok, on March 16, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA Before the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine was also in the same situation. The AstraZeneca vaccine is suspected of causing thrombosis, causing a series of European countries to suspend use, despite WHO recommendations. Recently, on April 14, Denmark became the first European country to permanently stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about rare blood clotting side effects. Denmark thinks that AstraZeneca’s vaccine may not be needed because it has managed the COVID-19 pandemic and may just depend on the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Before that, from March 11, Denmark, along with Iceland and Norway, have suspended the use of this vaccine. Followed by a number of other European countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Federal Health Ministers and states in Germany unanimously recommend a second shot after getting the first shot with the AstraZeneca vaccine, under which one shot of the preparation is given to those under 60 years of age. This could be a second shot with another vaccine. In Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov also announced that the launch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the country could be stopped because people are not interested. The European Drug Administration – the European Union’s (EU) drug regulator – then recommended that countries continue to use vaccines as the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any potential risks. hidden from humans. Last week, the European pharmaceutical regulator listed clotting as an extremely rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Some countries have started to re-use the vaccine after the suspension, but limited in the number of people vaccinated. As is the case in the UK, the country says it will offer another vaccine for people under the age of 30. While some countries are vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Thailand Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be the mainstay of the Southeast Asian country’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Mr. Anutin confirmed that Thailand has the expertise to closely monitor vaccine information and the decision is based on science. Thailand’s vaccination campaign mainly relies on domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine and 2 million doses of Chinese vaccine to vaccinate about 35 million people, equivalent to 50% of the population – Thailand’s goal. must be reached by the end of 2021. Along with Thailand, Korea has decided to continue to vaccinate AstraZeneca for those who qualify. People younger than 30 years of age have not yet received the vaccine because the risk of blood clots outweighs the benefit of the vaccination. Continued reassurance and investigation of coagulation phenomenon after vaccination Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Llanelli, South Wales (UK), April 9, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA While countries are moving differently with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, WHO continues to assert the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. On April 15, WHO Director in Europe Hans Kluge reaffirmed that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks. “Make it clear that there is no doubt that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing hospital admissions for COVID-19 and preventing severe illness that leads to death. The WHO has recommended this vaccine as soon as possible,” he said. as possible for adults to increase resistance to the SARS-CoV-2 virus “. WHO officials also pointed out that out of the 200 million people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are only a few rare cases of a blood clotting disorder. He emphasized that the risk of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 is much higher than in those receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. A study by scientists at the University of Oxford UK showed that COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of developing blood clots in the brain than those vaccinated against the disease. Data from over 500,000 patients with COVID-19 show that blood clotting occurs at an incidence of 39 out of 1,000,000 patients. Of the more than 480,000 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine made by BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna, the incidence of coagulation was 4 / 1,000,000, while the rate was slightly higher for those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca – about 5 / 1,000,000 after the first injection. After the coagulation incident with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, the researchers found that this rare side effect only occurs with vaccines using adeno virus vector technology (the virus that causes the common cold). There has been no record of coagulation in people who received the vaccine using other technologies from Pfizer and Moderna. However, the link between the technology using adeno virus vectors and coagulation is only a simple guess, there is no evidence. Russian vaccine has not caused any blood clotting cases and is increasingly “expensive”. Vaccine Sputnik V in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP / VNA When Western countries investigated blood clotting side effects, the Gamaleya Research Institute – which develops the Russian vaccine Sputnik V – said the vaccine has not caused any adverse reactions related to blood clotting. According to the Gamaleya Institute, there is no reason to equate the safety of the Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca vaccines with Sputnik V. All three of these vaccines are vector-based, using the adeno virus to deliver the protein of SARS-CoV- 2 into human cells, helping to stimulate the immune system’s response. However, all three manufacturers use different structures and technologies in vaccine formulation. Iran is the latest country to order Russian vaccines. Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali confirmed that the contract to buy 60 million doses of Sputnik V has been signed and completed, enough to give 2 doses to 30 million people. Ambassador Kazem Jalali also announced that Iran will receive the vaccine by the end of 2021. Russia is also transferring technology to produce this vaccine to a number of countries. Most recently, the Korean company ISU Abxis on April 15 announced an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the technology transfer and production of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for Korean companies. . It is expected that the production of vaccine trials will soon be deployed at a facility in Yongin, south of Seoul. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the second most popular vaccine in the world approved for use by national pharmaceutical regulators.

U.S. halts use of Johnson / Johnson vaccine

The implementation of johnson&johnson’s (J&J)one-dose Covid-19 vaccine was halted on April 13 when regulators announced they were reviewing rare cases of blood clots after receiving it. The move could prompt thousands of people expected to get the J&J vaccine this week to find an alternative.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both recommend halting the distribution of the J&J vaccine after recording 6 cases of cerebral vein sinus thrombosis (CVST).

Illustration: Reuters

Symptoms are noted in women between the ages of 18-48 and appear 6-13 days after the J&J. vaccine injection. “Among cases of coaalysis in the U.S., one person has died and one patient is in critical condition,” said Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biological Research and Evaluation.

However, stopping the use of the J&J vaccine in the US when there are only a few cases of blood clots has raised questions about over-reactions.

Speaking at the White House on April 13, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the CDC and FDA have acted “with extreme caution” and stressed that the decision to recommend stopping the use of the J&J vaccine is only temporary.

“I don’t think they made the decision in a hurry,” Mr. Fauci said.

Despite this, the move left those planning to get the J&J vaccine confused and raised concerns that it could cause hesitation over covid-19 vaccination.

Earlier, 15 million J&J vaccines were damaged due to production errors at a factory. In Colorado, three mass vaccination points stopped using the J&J vaccine last week after 11 people reported symptoms of nausea and dizziness after receiving the vaccine.

For regulators, halting the use of the J&J vaccine has made it difficult to meet the urgent need for vaccines during the pandemic. When investigating the issue, U.S. officials must also try to maintain public confidence in the vaccination program. The suspension of J&J vaccination shows that regulators are taking potential issues seriously, but if they can’t find an answer yet, it could make people more concerned about vaccinations.

Link between J&J vaccine and cerebral vein sinus thrombosis

Cerebral vein sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a condition in which blood clots are formed in the veins and sinuses of the brain. This is a rare form of a stroke. In the general population, this symptom occurs in about 5 out of 1 million people. Symptoms of CVST include headache, blurred vision, convulsions, and loss of body control.

However, there are a number of factors that cause regulators to pay attention to cases of CVST after a single dose of J&J. Mr. Marks explained that, patients with blood clots also have tinglet reduction, the condition of tinglets in the blood decreases to very low levels, leading to bleeding and bruising. The combination of blood clots and low tinglets prevents patients from using common anti-coaculation treatments such as heparin, a blood thinner. That’s why health officials want to halt J&J.J. vaccinations until concerns can be investigated and give new guidance if necessary.

In addition, another factor is the cases of blood clots that occur in young women, who usually do not face a high risk of suffering from this disease.

The suspension of the J&J vaccine has been reminiscent of many European countries suspending all or part of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccination program due to fears of blood clots. In March, the European Medicines Regulator (EMA) halted distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine before allowing it to continue. Later, regulators concluded the AstraZeneca vaccine did not increase the risk of blood clots.

“This is a safe and effective vaccine. The benefits of vaccines in protecting people from the risk of dying and hospitalization from Covid-19 are far greater than the possible risks,” EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said at a press conference in March.

Both the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Johnson /Johnson vaccine are based on modified adenovirus vectors. Adenovirus is a separate virus designed to provide DNA instructions to cellsto make the mutable protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Nearly 7 million people in the U.S. who have been vaccinated with the J&J. Vaccine AstraZeneca are still under review and have not yet begun distribution in the U.S., even though the country’s government has purchased millions of doses of the vaccine.

The link between the J&J vaccine and symptoms of cerebral vein sinus thrombosis has not yet been clarified, but Vox has made several assumptions.

“Mutant proteins are produced using instructions from vaccines,” said Robert Brodsky, Director of hematological division at Johns Hopkins University. In some cases, mutating proteins can trigger the response of the immune system. That immune response can also damage the tinglets, causing symptoms such as blood clots.

In addition, if a spike in a protein can trigger this reaction, it is likely that the virus is intact that can also activate CVST in vulnerable people.

Rare complications that create major public health challenges

The Covid-19 vaccine has been tested on tens of thousands of people in clinical trials, and all three licensed vaccines in the U.S., Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson have all been proven safe, with levels of side effects being mild to medium.

Health workers prepare J&j’s Covid-19 vaccine shots in Detroit on April 12. Photo: AP

But as the number of people taking part in vaccine trials increased from thousands to millions, rare complications began to appear.

That happened to Pfizer/BioNTech after the vaccine was distributed to the market. Some people after vaccination experience a severe allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine. Similar problems also appeared with the Moderna vaccine. In January, the CDC estimated that the rate of allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations, while the rate of the Moderna vaccine was 2.5 per 1 million vaccinations.

Health officials have revised the vaccination process to screen people with a history of severe allergies. They also asked the person after vaccination to stay for 15 minutes for monitoring, as most allergic reactions occur during that time period.

Regulators can add screening criteria for people at higher risk for blood clots before getting the J&J vaccine.

It’s too early to say whether regulators will do the right thing when it comes to halting J&J vaccinations. Studying potential vaccine issues can boost people’s confidence in vaccinations, but can also cause confusion and fear of complications, making more people more vigilant.

What about those who have received the J&J vaccine?

Dr Fauci said that, for those who had received the J&J vaccine more than a month ago, they didn’t need to worry. However, those who have recently received the J&J vaccine and begin to have symptoms associated with cerebral sinus thrombosis should inform their doctor. “6-13 days after vaccination will be the time of symptoms,” Mr Fauci said.