The Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford may cause a nerve disorder in “very rare” cases, warned the EU’s vaccine watchdog, the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The Agency said that to this day they reported 833 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (SGB) in the 592 million people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine all over the world. He cautioned, however, that the overall risk of developing the syndrome after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca is less than 1 in 10,000.
The UK reported 393 cases in people vaccinated with AstraZeneca, but the Regulatory Agency for Medicines and Health Products from United Kingdom (MHRA) said they are not sure the condition is showing alarming numbers. And while they do not officially recognize Guillain-Barre as a side effect of the vaccine, they clarified that they are closely monitoring the alleged link.
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In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also warned in July of an “increased risk” of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome with the vaccine of Johnson & Johnson. In Brazil, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) issued a warning following the appearance of 34 suspected cases of GBS in people who had been inoculated against the coronavirus.
The syndrome is named after French neurologists Georges Guillain and Jean Alexandre Barré, the first to describe the disease, along with André Strohl, in 1916.
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It is a very rare condition that can be caused by viral infections and It is believed to be activated when the immune system fails and begins to attack the body’s own nerve cells.
Symptoms of the condition include numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and balance and coordination problems. These symptoms tend to start in the hands and feet before spreading to the arms and legs.
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Experts say that symptoms get worse during the first few days before they start to improve. Most people with the syndrome make a full recovery, but one in five is left with long-term problems and one in 20 dies.
Treatments for Guillain-Barré syndrome include pain relievers and blood transfusions to help manage the condition.
Around 7.5% of people who develop the disease die as a consequence, worldwide.
“The main risk generated by the syndrome is when the respiratory muscles are affected. In the latter case, GBS can cause death if the appropriate measures are not taken”, Anvisa warned BBC News Brazil.
“They should also watch out for problems with coordination and instability, difficulty walking, tingling in the hands and feet, weakness in the extremities, chest or face, and problems with bladder control and bowel function.” the agency added.
“The benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks”
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The EMA and the MHRA emphasized that the benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 still outweigh the risks of possible side effects.
However, the European agency “considered at least a reasonable possibility”That the AstraZeneca vaccine could “Trigger the syndrome in ‘very rare’ cases”. “Therefore, Guillain-Barré syndrome should be added to the product information as a side effect of Vaxzevria [AstraZeneca]”, said.
In a publication, the EMA explained that the frequency category assigned to the syndrome is “Very rare” (ie, occurs in less than one in 10,000 people), which is the lowest frequency category foreseen in the EU product information ”.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder (with one or two cases per 100,000 people, per year) in which the immune system damages nerve cells.
The doctor June Raine, directora executivea of the MHRA, said the agency “will continue to review Guillain-Barré syndrome cases reported after vaccination with Covid vaccines to assess the possible increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with vaccines.”
“Anyone who experiences limb weakness and paralysis, possibly spreading to the chest and face, within four to six weeks after vaccination you should seek urgent medical attention“Raine said, but clarified:” The benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks for most people. “
In that sense, the teacher Ian Douglas, Pharmacoepidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, reminded the population that the benefits of the vaccine still far outweigh the risks: “Overall, I do not believe that this news alters the risk-benefit profile of the vaccine.”
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