UK Confirms Adverse Reactions to the Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine

As of June 9, 2021, the United Kingdom Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had received 885 Yellow Card reports of suspected adverse drug reactions to the Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine, in which the patient died shortly after vaccination.

Additionally, the MHRA confirmed 34 reports of myocarditis and 61 reports of pericarditis following the use of the vaccine. And 740 spontaneous adverse reactions associated with anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reactions.

Furthermore, 390 cases of major thromboembolic events (blood clots) with concurrent thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts) have been reported following vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

The nature and frequency of these reports are in line with that reported in previous updates, says the MHRA, the Executive Agency of the UK Department of Health and Social Care.

On December 30, 2020, the MHRA provided authorization for an emergency supply of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca for the active immunization of individuals 18 years or older. Vaxzevria is made up of another virus (of the adenovirus family) that has been modified to contain the gene for making a protein from SARS-CoV-2, says the European Medicine Agency.

As of June 20, 2021, Vaxzevria has not been authorized for use in the USA by the U.S. FDA.