UGM Expert: Blood Coagulation Due To AstraZeneca Vaccine Very Rarely Occurs

JAKARTA - Professor of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Prof. Zullies Ikawati said that there is a strong relationship between the incidence of blood clots and the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but the occurrence is very rare. "There is a strong correlation between the incidence of blood clots," he said in a written statement received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, June 21. Zullies said that until May 5, 2021, in Europe there had been reports of blood clots due to this vaccine as many as 262 cases, and 51 of them died. , from the use of as many as 30 million doses of vaccine. If calculated, said Zullies, the percentage of occurrence is very small, so the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) in Europe assesses that the AstraZeneca vaccine can cause blood clotting reactions, but the benefits still outweigh the risks. This vaccine can still be given to the public. Former Central Pharmacist Association Executive The Indonesian er (IAI) added that the death of three Indonesian citizens after undergoing vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine some time ago had left some people afraid. "But, in fact, it has been explained by the Chairperson of the National Commission for Post-Immunization Adverse Events (Komnas KIPI), that two of the three people who died were confirmed to be unrelated to the vaccine, because one was infected with COVID and the other had pneumonia," he said. "While the other case in Jakarta, said Zullies, still needs an in-depth investigation regarding the link with the AstraZeneca vaccine. and an autopsy was performed on Monday, May 24.

Zullies added that a German researcher Greinacher suspects that this rare blood clotting reaction is related to the vaccine platform, namely the viral vector using the adenovirus. "It's not certain, but previous studies using the adenovirus platform have produced the same reaction, namely platelet activation that causes blood clotting. ," he said. The same reaction was also found in the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which uses the same platform, namely adenovirus. The use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was discontinued in America and after being evaluated it could be reused. "It is suspected that there is an excessive immune reaction to the vaccine. which comes from an adenovirus, when the vaccine binds to platelets, then it triggers a series of immune reactions that cause blood clots. These reactions can actually improve on their own, but some can be fatal, "he said.

"Instead of thinning the blood, the blood clots. This reaction is called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HITT or HIT type 2)," he said. "Maybe the analogy is the reaction to anaphylactic shock due to the administration of penicillin class of antibiotics, which is rare and not always predictable," he said.