Two worries are bothering recipients of the Covishield vaccine. One is of getting “breakthrough infections” and the second about thrombosis post vaccination (in young females). Irresponsible statements from various agencies/social media are adding to the confusion surrounding these issues.
Use of the vaccine has been suspended for individuals younger than 55 or 60 years in several European countries and in Canada after reports of a prothrombotic disorder and thrombocytopenia, mainly in younger individuals. Now, more information on the prothrombotic disorder has become available. The vaccine appears to be linked to a condition that clinically resembles heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and that occurs mainly in younger women.
Researchers have described clinical and laboratory details of nine patients from Germany and Austria who developed this condition 4 to 16 days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine in a preprint article published March 28 on Research Square. They found that serum from four patients who were tested showed platelet-activating antibodies directed against platelet factor 4 (PF4), similar to what is seen in HIT. They are proposing naming the condition “vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT)” to avoid confusion with HIT.
Till date, we understand that these “breakthrough infections” are not severe and complications of thrombosis are very rare. Though the risk-benefit ratio still favours use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the question should be analysed systematically in India. In India, the maximum number of Covishield jabs has been given and our genetic constitution is different from Europe. Also, this problem can be solved by availability of other vaccines like Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer in Indian markets. The Indian government already has all the data of vaccines recipients. Without delay, they should immediately conduct a survey regarding “breakthrough infections”. This is very easy to conduct as all positive reports are reported / linked with Aadhaar cards and phone numbers. The government just needs to link both data.
We need to put an end to these rumours to decrease vaccine hesitancy.
Dr Dhiren Gupta is Senior paediatrician, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.