EU warns against AstraZeneca shot in people with rare blood condition
Europe’s drug regulator on Friday advised against using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in people with a history of a rare bleeding condition and said it was looking into heart inflammation cases after inoculation with all coronavirus shots.
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety committee in its evaluation said that capillary leak syndrome must be added as a new side effect to labelling on AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
It is a condition in which blood leaks from the smallest of vessels into muscles and body cavities and is characterized by swelling and a drop in blood pressure.
The regulator first began looking into these cases in April and the recommendation adds to AstraZeneca’s woes after its vaccine has been dogged with problems, including a possible link to rare blood clotting issues.