UK regulators have added a rare nerve disorder that affects the feet as well as the hands and limbs to the list.
Guillain-Barré syndrome, which sees the immune system go haywire and start to attack nerve cells, was added by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
While most people who have the autoimmune disorder make a complete recovery, one in five may experience long-term issues such as difficulty walking or death.
Last month, the European Medicines Agency reported that 833 cases were reported of Guillain Barre syndrome worldwide. This was out of 592million doses.
The vaccine’s benefits far outweigh any risks, regulators stressed.
UK regulators have added a rare nerve disorder to the list of possible side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccination. It affects the feet and hands, as well as the limbs.
The EMA stated previously that they believed it was ‘at minimum a reasonable possibility’ Guillain Barre was a side effect from the Oxford-made jab.
The condition has been listed by the regulator to the single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It uses the same technology that the AZ jab.
There were 393 UK cases of the jab in September. However, the watchdog isn’t certain that the condition is occurring more frequently than normal.
It is unclear how many of these were responsible for long-term complications. However, three Britons have died.
Last month, the European Medicines Agency reported that 833 cases were reported of Guillain Barre syndrome worldwide. These were in addition to 592million doses from AstraZeneca.
The above graph shows the number of Guillaine-Barre cases detected after a Covid vaccine was administered in the UK up to September
According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), there have been 44 suspected cases and one fatality following administration of Pfizer’s jab.
Three cases have been reported after Moderna jab vaccination.
Professor Ian Douglas, a pharmacoepidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the benefits of the vaccine still vastly outweighed the risks.
He said, “Taken together I don’t believe that this news alters or changes the risk benefit profile for the vaccine.”
It does not prevent anyone from seeking medical attention if they experience early signs of Guillain Barre syndrome after receiving the Covid vaccination.
These include numbness, weakness, pins, and needles in your hands and feet. They often get worse over a few weeks.
A rare blood clot on a brain was identified as a side effect from the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Because of concerns about the condition appearing to be more common in younger individuals, UK vaccine advisors recommend that under-40s get an alternative jab.
Pfizer’s vaccine has been linked in very rare cases to myocarditis or inflammation of the heart.
This condition seems to be most prevalent in young boys.
The US Food and Drug Administration also warned in July of an ‘increased risk’ of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome with Johnson & Johnson’s dose.
In May, AstraZeneca’s jab was hit hard by regulators who discovered that the vaccine could have caused a rare blood clot in the brain.
Britain’s vaccine advisory committee — the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) — has recommended that under-40s are offered an alternative to the jab.
However, a study has shown that the risk of developing a blood clot after catching Covid is much higher than for people who received the AstraZeneca jab.
The risk of developing clots according to the latest Oxford University study is higher due to the virus than the British-made vaccine.
Researchers examined the medical records of 29 million people in England who had received a vaccine or tested positive for the disease in the largest study of its kind.
12.614 of the 10million who contracted Covid developed blood clots from a vein that they would not have otherwise.
However, the risk to those who were given AstraZeneca was significantly lower at just 66 per 10,000.
For Pfizer’s vaccine — which uses a different technology to AstraZeneca’s jab — the researchers did not spot any links between the jab and a clotting complication.