By the time cases of blood clotting in patients who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine had begun to emerge on the Continent (in March), Britain had already administered 11 million doses (the first ones having been given in January). No such adverse events had been reported publicly in Britain, but not for a lack of cases, according to the findings of a new investigation. Clotting cases were recorded in the UK’s Yellow Card database (a website for reporting adverse drug reactions) in January but were missed at first by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – possibly due to the algorithms it uses to interrogate UK data. The Telegraph has the story.
On March 11th, the MHRA put out a statement saying it could see no evidence of a problem…
But the MHRA was, it appears, wrong. An investigation by the Telegraph has established that signals had been firing unnoticed in the UK’s Yellow Card database for at least a month, perhaps longer.
In January, a patient suffered a brain clot following their first dose of the AstraZeneca jab… Then in early February, two similar cases followed, including a death and a life-changing CVST clot in a young adult. All had low platelets and all were reported into the Yellow Card system.
On Friday, the MHRA told the Telegraph: “We are aware of thromboembolic events that occurred in January, however, our first report was received in the week commencing February 8th…. we cannot disclose information about individual cases to protect patient and reporter confidentiality.”
… The MHRA faces serious questions as to why it did not detect the signals sooner. The issue is not that it has been left looking flatfooted or even that earlier detection would necessarily have altered its advice, but that the delay left it unable to shape international policy and confidence in what remains a vital vaccine in the fight against Covid for the world.
Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, a psychologist at the University of Bristol studying the rollout of Covid vaccines, told the Financial Times on Friday: “The MHRA was slow in responding to the emergence of a specific constellation of symptoms associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and slow to communicate what they were finding – and I am not the only one who thinks so.”
This slow repose was caused, it is said, by algorithms which were not as sensitive as the ones used by European health agencies to sift through data.
From January 4th to March 14th, a total of 532 “blood system events”, including 20 deaths, came through the UK’s Yellow Card system relating to the AstraZeneca jab, according to an analysis of published MHRA data by Dr Hamid Merchant, a pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Huddersfield. There were thousands of non-blood-related reports besides.
Of the thrombotic events recorded, four related to CVST (but no deaths were recorded), 55 were non-site specific and there were clusters of 64 and 66 cases in the lungs and deep veins respectively. There were then 267 general bleeding events and six deaths, three of which resulted from cerebral haemorrhage. Finally, there were 60 cases of thrombocytopenia, including two deaths.
To sift such data, regulators build algorithms that must balance “sensitivity” against leg-work. The more sensitive the algorithm, the more warning signals it will throw up to investigate – and many of those labour-intensive investigations will prove fruitless.
It is not known exactly what parameters the MHRA set but it is clear they were not as sensitive as those used by some regulators in Europe.
The MHRA says it followed a principle of applying “statistical techniques which can tell us if we are seeing disproportionately more cases than we would expect to see based on what is known about background rates of illness in the absence of vaccination”. This is reflected in the regulator’s initial statement when it said clotting reports were not above normal.
But other countries turned the sensitivity gauge up to 11. “Our policy is if it is associated with a death, or very serious adverse drug reaction, we will look into it right away,” David Benee Olsen, senior advisor at the Norwegian Medicines Agency, told the Telegraph.
Reports suggest that the MHRA was more rigorous in its examination of data relating to the Covid vaccine produced by Pfizer. The Telegraph clarifies that “there is no suggestion whatever that the MHRA covered up the reporting of CVST with thrombocytopenia – it just did not spot the still unproven issue as early as others”.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Canada has reported a second case of rare blood clots with low platelets after vaccination with AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine in a week.
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quite right too. vaccines are low risk and work great.
No, quite wrong! Nobody, especially concerning those of an age that the virus poses little risk to, should be coerced into having an experimental gene therapy that may pose more of a risk than the virus itself. I don’t know what planet you are in but I hope that it’s not the same one that I am on!
to slw infections, you can use lockdown or vaccine, yet you’ll always get the stubborn fellows who reject both and then wind up with both, serves the buggers right in a funny sort of way!
Why slow infections? Better to let it spread and allow the young and invulnerable to get immunity when young just like you do with chicken pox.
It would be madness to replace that natural immunity with blod clot causing gene changing experimental therapy that doesnt even work.
“to slw infections, you can use lockdown or vaccine”
No substantive evidence of that, Rip van Winkle.
You’d best go back to sleep.
*Distaval can be given with complete safety to pregnant women and nursing mothers without adverse effect on mother or child … Outstandingly safe Distaval has been prescribed for nearly three years in this country”
That’s from a contemporary advertisement for thalidomide, which was aggressively marketed at the time.
Outstandingly safe, mRNA vaccines have been prescribed for nearly three months in this country….
… and thalidomide was much more tested than the snake oil.
Do you not want students to learn that being healthy is your best immunity? I would have thought universities, as the ‘great seats of learning’, should be encouraging that, not a vaccine which removes all personal responsibility for one’s health. This also shows that universities are no longer places where a plurality of views are tolerated. That is the most disturbing element about this. University = how to fit into compliant culture (including cancel culture).
Biggest numpty in the world award goes to …
Glad to see them author use the word “coerce.”
Presumably they’ll be happy to payout compo for any serious side effects, and therefore happy to sign a liability statement to that effect prior to the students getting vaccinated.
Not just in the USA, but Canada too. My 17 year old niece has been awarded a scholarship to the University of Guelph for September 2021 and has now been informed that in order to attend she must have a covid vaccine! My brother and sister in law are incredibly upset and my niece is now being coerced in to doing something she doesn’t want to do nor needs.
She should tell them where to go
But the vaccines don’t prevent infection or transmiss…
…oh never mind, there’s no point in using logic or reason now that we are in the Age of the Endarkenment.
That’s a bare faced lie: one dose halves tranmission, two doses more that halves transmission.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56904993
A very questionable study!
Go right ahead and have your vaccine, Fon, it’s your choice! In fact, have mine too. Whether the vaccine works or not, the point is that no one should be coerced into getting one
You’re linking to the BBC?
I can’t decide from your posts whether you just like winding people up or genuinely believe what you write.
I would really like you to change my mind on these vaccines so give it your best shot (pun intended). Here’s a clue, citing the BBC isnt going to do it.
https://khub.net/documents/135939561/390853656/Impact+of+vaccination+on+household+transmission+of+SARS-COV-2+in+England.pdf/35bf4bb1-6ade-d3eb-a39e-9c9b25a8122a?t=1619601878136
Feel free to go to the source material. It’s a significant analysis. You want Figure 2.
Mmmm … Source : Public Health England.
‘Infection’ definition? : “confirmed cases using PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 through national reporting systems”
Not an RCT.
Intra-household transmission normally only 17% according to other research.
“http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/“
I laughed so hard, the tears ran down me leg. Could explain a lot if you’re getting your misinformation from there!
Elbow in the middle. Arse further down.
You have no idea at all what you are talking about. No Covid vaccine prevents you catching or spreading Covid. You are so stupid the article you link to even states it:
“University of Warwick epidemiologist Mike Tildesley said the findings were significant but pressed people to continue to take up vaccination offers.
“We need to remember these vaccines are not 100% effective either at preventing severe symptoms or at allowing yourself to be infected ….”
By what measure, their extensive trials and PCR tests?
The whole shit-show is rigged. The tests are bollocks, the questions posed in the trials for the Lemsips were inadequate and still yet to be completed and the BBC are a bunch of bare faced cunts. You’re in good company.
Heavens, being young doesn’t look so inviting nowadays!
Last I checked, there had only been five specific cases of American college students who have died from or with COVID. There are approximately 20 million American college students, which means the odds of a college student dying from COVID over the past 14 months are 1-in-4-million.
As I keep posting, the probability a random American will get struck by lightning this year are 1-in-700,000.
Do colleges still teach statistics and probabilities? If so, why?
Some might say that the solution is to coerce college students into wearing a lightning conductor.
You’re quoting the BBC?
I can’t decide from your posts whether you just like winding people up or are incredibly thick.
Nothing says he can’t be both. See also, Marianna Spring
Our youngest son is currently ‘zooming’ a PHD at Denver University, a private Uni. He was given no choice, have a jab or you can’t continue course and therefore can’t fulfil your visa requirements, therefore will be thrown out of the country. Nice!
He had it, he is early 30s. He has been brainwashed , even though he is usually intelligent, so he has talked as if he didn’t mind. I don’t really know what he really thinks, its a bit difficult having that conversation via a phone link.
Bastards!
For those new to the poster named “fon” please be aware he is of 77 Brigade and not very bright.
Best to ignore him or tell him to:
F. #ck O. ff N. ow