The AstraZeneca shot was supposed to be the vaccine for a couple of billion people. But after reports the shot may trigger a rare side effect, public health officials worry that the people in some countries may have lost faith in the world’s most important vaccine.
In an article published by MSN.com and National Geographic, Nigel Key, MD, the Harold R. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the division of hematology explained the syndrome as “something entirely different from the garden variety type of blood clots.”
“The syndrome presents a unique combination of symptoms, including blood clots that occur in unusual places, and in seemingly contradictory fashion, it’s also associated with a drop in platelet counts, the substances that help blood coagulate. “It’s the peculiarity of this particular syndrome that is unusual,” he said. “Many had cerebral thrombosis [strokes and bleeds]. So it greatly narrows down the possibilities of what we’re seeing. But it’s really just a matter of time until this is nailed down in terms of frequency and mechanism.”