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A COVID-19 diagnosis is associated with a 39-in-1-million chance of developing a rare blood clot condition, compared with about a 4-in-1-million chance after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines against the disease, according to a data analysis led by researchers at the University of Oxford. The study, posted Wednesday (April 14), has not yet been peer reviewed. The findings add weight to concerns that suspending the use of other vaccines, namely, AstraZeneca’s and Johnson & Johnson’s adenovirus vector–based shots, might not be worth the tradeoff of leaving people without protection against SARS-CoV-2.
Last month, some European countries halted use of the AstraZeneca jab due to blood clot concerns. The European Medicines Agency later determined cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST, also known as cerebral venous thrombosis or CVT) is an extremely rare side effect of the shot. Then, this week, US health authorities recommended a ...