At least 36 people have developed a rare blood disease after taking the Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, according to The New York Times.
- The condition is called immune thrombocytopenia, which leads to a deficiency of “platelets,” which are “cells essential for making blood clots, a process that keeps you from bleeding continuously from the site of an injury,” Newsweek said.
What is happening?
The U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System has seen 36 cases of the condition since late January, according to The New York Times. Each of the cases involved the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
- “But the reporting system only shows problems described by health care providers or patients after vaccination and does not indicate whether the shots caused the problems,” said The New York Times.
- “It is not known whether this blood disease is related to the COVID vaccines,” said The New York Times.
- According to Fox News, no cases of thrombocytopenia were reported in the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine studies.
Reaction
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are both studying the reports. At present, the reported rates among vaccinees are no higher than those in the US population.
- Per Newsweek, the Platelet Disorder Support Association said that about 100,000 people in the US have the condition.
A Pfizer spokesperson told Fox News that it “is aware of cases of thrombocytopenia in recipients of our COVID-19 vaccine” and takes the reports “very seriously.”
- “We collect relevant information to share with the FDA. However, at the moment we have not been able to establish a causal relationship with our vaccine, ”the spokesman added. “To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are closely monitoring all adverse events in individuals who receive our vaccine. Serious adverse events, including deaths unrelated to the vaccine, are unfortunately likely to occur at the same rate as in the general population. “
Something else?
The CDC has said the coronavirus vaccine is completely safe and side effects are normal.
- “COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you against COVID-19. You may experience some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building up protection. These side effects can affect your ability to perform daily activities but should go away in a few days. “