The last two weeks have been focused on the vaccination process against COVID-19 and the AstraZeneca vaccine has had an important role. The alarm went off just a fortnight ago when some European countries such as Denmark and Austria began to link it with possible cases of thrombus, some of which would have resulted in death after receiving doses of this vaccine.
This ended up generating mistrust towards the British pharmaceutical company's drug, to such an extent that several European countries immediately stopped its administration. In a few days, most EU countries joined in.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) was forced to carry out an immediate study to evaluate whether there really was a relationship between these cases of thrombosis, especially worrying as some of them were cerebral. Finally, last Thursday, a direct relationship was ruled out, and AstraZeneca's vaccine continued to be insisted on as safe.
With this favorable report, the countries have been resuming its use little by little, some immediately and others after a few days, such as Spain, which did so on Wednesday. However, not all of them have done so, since Denmark, for example, is still suspending its use.
But in view of the discrediting situation that had been generated by its product, the pharmaceutical company itself has sent a letter, in agreement with the EMA and the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), to Spanish health professionals. It explains that "very rare cases of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, sometimes accompanied by hemorrhage, have been reported after vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca".
However, it is admitted that this vaccine may end up generating its own side effects, although much milder than a possible venous thrombosis. That is why they have made a kind of guide for the healthcare professionals who are administering this vaccine so that they can inform about the symptoms that can occur when receiving it and tell those who are being vaccinated "to seek immediate medical attention" if they notice any of these symptoms.
On the one hand, it is necessary to be attentive if dyspnea is suffered, that is to say, respiratory difficulty or shortness of breath. It is also recommended to notify the doctor if you suffer from precordial pain, chest pain right next to the heart or persistent abdominal pain.
It is also necessary to watch for edema in the legs or feet. In turn, neurological symptoms may occur, specifically intense or persistent headaches and blurred vision. The last two symptoms to be taken into account are skin hematomas and petechiae, small red marks, in places other than where the vaccine has been administered.
Vaccination resumed with AstraZeneca
This Wednesday, the different autonomous communities in Spain have once again included doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in their vaccination plans. Although it is true that with an important novelty: now, this vaccine can be used on people who are up to 65 years old after the Health Ministry of Spain approved a change in the maximum age for administering this vaccine, which was set at 55. Meanwhile, there are other countries such as France where the age barrier has been eliminated, and they have even done the opposite, avoiding giving it to people under 55, especially women, where the cases of thrombi were detected.
Thus, some of them have already begun to call the population between 60 and 65 years old in order to administer the first dose.
[This is a translation of the original article "Siete síntomas tras ponerse la vacuna de AstraZeneca con los que debes ir al médico" published in espanadiario.net]