Five cases of a very rare blood disorder in people who have received the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca are being reviewed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU’s drug regulator has said.
The cases of “capillary leak syndrome,” which can cause leakage of fluid from blood vessels, tissue swelling and a drop in blood pressure, were reported from across the European Economic Area, the EMA said on Friday.
The regulator said it is “not yet clear” if there is a causal association between AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria jab and the condition, which can cause organ failure if it is not treated.
The EMA said the five cases, all reported in the European Economic Area, warrant further investigation and potentially an update to the vaccine’s product information, if deemed necessary by its Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC).
The reports of capillary leak syndrome are the latest blow for AstraZeneca’s vaccine after the EMA said this week that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets” should be listed as very rare side effects of the jab.
The results of a PRAC review into blood clots prompted a number of countries to limit the Anglo-Swedish vaccine to older people only, due to most cases of blood clotting occurring in the under-60s.
On Friday, Greece announced it was limiting the vaccine to people aged 30 and older, becoming the latest European state to slap age limits on the jab in recent days after Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and UK.
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