This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Thursday, 2 December 2021
A Possible Explanation For VITT as a Rare Side-Effect of Using the Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine?
Scientists in Cardiff and the US have found a possible explanation for an extremely rare side-effect of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covid19 vaccine (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/02/covid-scientists-blood-clots-astrazeneca-covid-jab-vaccine-side-effects-pandemic). The side-effect is called vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia (VITT). VITT is a chain reaction, resulting in the formation of dangerous blood clots in a very tiny proportion of subjects, vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca preparation. That vaccine uses a primate adenovirus, like a tiny syringe, to 'inject' coronavirus material into human cells. Entry of this material triggers the protective immune response. The scientists found that the adenovirus used, carries a high negative charge. This can be attracted to a positive charge on platelet factor 4 (this is part of the body's clotting mechanism). The resultant binding can trigger VITT. There might well be similar issues with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It also uses an adenovirus. The mRNA vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna) do not employ adenoviral transport systems. mRNA vaccines can also have rare side-effects but VITT is unikely to be one of them. All the currently-approved vaccines, however, offer excellent protection. You would be extremely unlucky to experience a serious side-effect. Unvaccinated people are exposed to much, much higher risk.
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