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Experts who have examined the three hospitalized healthcare workers believe that the AstraZeneca vaccine triggered a strong immune response. One of the health workers died.
– The cause of the condition of our patients has been discovered, says the chief physician and professor Pål Andre Holme to VG.
A group in Rikshospitalet, led by Holme, has worked hard to find out why three healthcare workers under the age of 50 were admitted with severe blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Experts have worked on the hypothesis that the vaccines triggered an unexpected immune reaction in sick healthcare workers, triggering the system to produce a combination of blood clots and low platelets.
It is this theory that they now believe they have confirmed.
– Our theory has been discovered that it is a strong immune response that most likely occurs after the vaccine. In collaboration with the advanced section In platelet immunology at the UNN, we have now detected specific antibodies against platelets that can give that image, which we know from other parts of the drug, but then with drugs as the triggering cause, explains the superior.
– You say it’s more likely?
– We are right. And there is nothing other than the vaccine that can explain that we have received that immune response, says Holme.
– Why is it just the vaccine?
– Because we have no other antecedents in these patients that can give such a strong immune response. I’m pretty sure these antibodies are the cause, and I see no reason other than the vaccine that triggers them.
So far, around 120,000 Norwegians have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Therefore, very few cases of suspected serious side effects have been reported among the total number of vaccinated. Norway has temporarily stopped vaccination, read below in the case.
FOUND THE CAUSE: Professor Pål Andre Holme on the cause of AstraZeneca side effects. Photo: Hallgeir Vågenes
Specific antibodies
Holme emphasizes that it is not the antibodies in the blood in general that are the problem.
– We are talking about very specific antibodies.
– What has happened in the body since it was vaccinated until the disease appeared?
– We take the vaccine to obtain an immune response to what we must be protected against. Then, you get, among other things, the development of antibodies. Then some antibodies can react so that they can activate platelets, as in these cases, and cause a blood clot. And because we have these antibodies on the surface, they are removed from the circulation, so they have too low platelets, says Holme.
A very rare condition
On Sunday, one of the three health workers who entered Rikshospitalet passed away. They have all been treated for a very rare disease:
- They walked in with a sharp pain
- They had blood clots in unusual places, like the stomach and the brain.
- Also, they had bleeding and low platelet counts.
You will soon decide the way forward
Much of Europe, including Norway, has put AstraZeneca vaccination on hold in the last week.
After Norway and Denmark reported the suspected serious side effects, other countries have reviewed their own data to look for similar cases.
Steinar Madsen of the Norwegian Medicines Agency says they have been informed that Rikshospitalet has meant that there is talk of a strong immune response, but says he cannot comment on the details right now.
The Side Effects Committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), where Norway is also based, has a meeting on Thursday on the case and is expected to make a statement.
– This will also be largely taken into account when assessing this at the European level, which Norway has made such a solid effort to find out here, says Madsen.
Once the EMA has issued a statement, it is up to the national authorities to decide the way forward for their respective countries.
VG has been in contact with AstraZeneca, which does not wish to comment on the matter at this time, but will await the EMA’s decision.
