The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) incorporated the paresthesia as a reaction to the Moderna vaccine, a tingling in the extremities. It is a rather “rare” adverse effect, since it has only appeared in 158 cases of the more than 14 million vaccines administered in Spain.
Now, the Aemps has updated in its latest report the list of adverse reactions to the Janssen and AstraZeneca vaccine and has included transverse myelitis as a new side effect. But what is this new reaction?
The transverse myelitis is a inflammation from both sides of a section of the spinal cord. It’s about a neurological disorder that damages the insulating material that covers nerve cell fibers (myelin).
Between the symptom of myelitis, we find: tingling in the legs or arms, loss of sensation, loss of strength in the arms or legs, pain in the lower back, problems with bladder or bowel sphincter control and/or fever .
Transverse myelitis disease is treated with medications and rehabilitation therapies and patients usually recover. However, there are some serious cases where people can end up with significant disabilities.
Health authorities advise vaccinated people to seek immediate medical attention if after receiving either of these two vaccines they experience sensory problems, weakness or malfunction of the bladder or bowel.
A rare adverse reaction
The Aemps report indicates that the number of cases identified with this reaction is very low. In Spain, until January 9, 2022, it had been registered 1 notification that meets the diagnostic criteria of transverse myelitis after administration of Astrazeneca. Until that date, about 9.8 million doses of this vaccine had been administered.
Of the Jansen vaccine, no case has yet been reported. Two million doses of this vaccine have been inoculated in our country.
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