Three new cases of atypical thrombosis (clots) associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, with two additional deaths, occurred in France between March 19 and 25, according to the Medicines Agency (ANSM).
Since the start of the vaccination, there are "twelve cases, including four deaths in total" of these rare thromboses which have occurred in France, said the ANSM on Friday.
It is about "thromboses of the large veins atypical by their localization (cerebral in majority, but also digestive), being able to be associated with a thrombocytopenia (deficit in blood platelets, NDLR) or with disorders of coagulation".
The health agency, which had reported this risk a week ago, "confirms again the very rare occurrence of this thrombotic risk" in people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
But she also recalls that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirms the positive benefit / risk balance of vaccination with AstraZeneca in the prevention of Covid-19.
Women most affected
These cases occurred within a median of nine days after vaccination, mainly in women, with no specific common history identified (nine people under 55, three patients over 55).
The ANSM recommends that people who have received this vaccine to consult a doctor immediately, in the event of symptoms that persist beyond 3 days, such as "shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the legs, abdominal pain, headaches. severe headache, blurred vision, or bruising far from the injection site ”.
The family of a 38-year-old woman, who died of thrombosis after receiving a first dose of the vaccine, filed a complaint against X with the Toulouse prosecutor's office on Friday, with the aim of "obtaining an investigation," said Friday his lawyer.
The previous surveillance report reported nine cases including two deaths.
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AstraZeneca vaccine: what we know about the death of a woman in Toulouse
For its part, the British drug agency said it had so far identified 30 cases of blood clots in people who received AstraZeneca's anti-Covid vaccine in the United Kingdom, stressing, however, that the benefits of vaccination outweighed this "very low" risk.
A group of experts has been assembled by the European Agency to assess the mechanism of action, any underlying risk factors and any additional data to explain such cases.
Their observations will be discussed during the European pharmacovigilance committee from Tuesday.