Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a rare but serious condition associated with certain COVID-19 vaccines, particularly adenovirus vector vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine.
What is thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)?
TTS is characterized by blood clots (thrombosis) in combination with a low number of platelets (thrombocytopenia), which are necessary for blood clotting. These often involve unusual locations of blood clots, such as in the brain (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) or the abdomen.
Symptoms of TTTS
Symptoms of TTTS may include:
Severe or persistent headache
blurry sight
Shortness of breath
Chestpain
Swelling of the legs
Persistent abdominal pain
Easy bruising or small blood spots under the skin outside the injection site
Although TTS is rare, it is important that individuals who have received vaccines associated with TTS are aware of the symptoms and seek medical attention if they develop them within a few weeks of vaccination. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for effective treatment of TTTS.
“TTS, or thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, is associated with blood clots in the brain or other parts of the body, along with a low platelet count. It rarely occurs due to specific types of vaccines and other causes. According to the WHO, adenovirus vector vaccines can be particularly have rarely been associated with this condition,” Dr Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid Task Force in Kerala, told ANI.
“While Covid vaccines have undoubtedly saved lives, reports of these extremely rare but potentially serious immune-mediated events have also been documented in reputable journals,” added Dr. Jayadevan adds.
According to a report from The Telegraph, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has acknowledged that its COVID-19 vaccine may lead to a rare side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).
According to a 2023 report on yalemedicine.org, a blood clot is essentially a gel-like clump of blood. Small blood clots form naturally when you cut or scrape your skin to stop bleeding. However, they become dangerous when they develop in a blood vessel and cause thrombosis (where they block blood flow), a condition responsible for as many as 100,000 deaths per year in the United States. Yale Medicine hematologist Robert Bona, MD, explains, “These clots usually occur in individuals who are bedridden, hospitalized, or have other medical problems related to inflammation, infections, or cancer.”
AstraZeneca admits that the Covishield vaccine can lead to rare side effects
The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine was marketed globally under several brand names, including Covishield and Vaxzevria
The Serum Institute of India produced the COVID-19 vaccine called Covishield, which is not based on the mRNA platform but rather the viral vector platform. This vaccine uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus, ChAdOx1, to deliver the COVID-19 spike protein into human cells. Although this common cold virus cannot infect the recipient, it can effectively instruct the immune system to prepare defenses against similar viruses.
In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) emerged as a new adverse event following immunization in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 non-replicant adenovirus vector-based vaccines. This includes the AstraZeneca COVID-19 ChAdOx-1 vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Janssen COVID-19 Ad26.COV2-S vaccines.
-With input from authorities
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Published: Apr 30, 2024 07:50 IST