Reports of blood clots developed after taking the AstraZeneca (Covishield) and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have driven many to endorsing anti-vax thoughts, especially in countries like India where Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are not available yet.
Now, researchers think they've found a solution to the blood clot vaccine problem. An international team of researchers from the United Kingdom and the United States says that viral vector vaccines like AZ and J&J may be attracting a protein that kick starts the dangerous blood clotting process among some?vaccine recipients.
The protein is known as "platelet factor 4" and is associated with coagulation. One thing is clear, blood clots are extremely dangerous if not dealt with immediately. Such clots can cause death in a small number of people who receive the AZ and J&J vaccines.
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For perspective - in the UK, 423 cases of blood clots were reported among 24.9 million first-dose recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and 24.1 million second-dose recipients of the same jab. 72 people died in total, with six deaths reported after the second dose.
According to researchers, viral vector vaccines like AZ and J&J have a strong negative charge which acts as a magnet for proteins with a positive charge, like PF4.
Their solution? To "engineer the capsid" which is the outer shell of the vaccine to prevent this magnetic interaction from taking place. According to a DW report, reducing electronegativity in the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine (Covishield) may help reduce chances of blood clots or thrombosis.
While we don't know how or when the creators of these vaccines will update them for improved safety, it's always better to know the problem.
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Citation
Deutsche Welle (2021). Vaccine blood clots seem solvable. DW.COM.?