The serious side effect of the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines is still not understood. It is now clear that the rare combination of brain thrombosis associated with platelet deficiency is caused by an autoimmune reaction. But it is not known what triggers this reaction.
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Theories abound, but we don’t know, say Marieke Kruip and Eric van Gorp, haematologist and virologist at Erasmus MC in Trouw on Saturday. “There are many possible causes. We must guard against tunnel vision and not zoom in too quickly on one explanation.”
A month ago, German thrombosis expert Andreas Greinacher wrote that all patients had produced antibodies against a protein from their platelets. This immune response made the blood clump. Last week, Greinacher claimed the response was triggered by contaminants in the vaccine, such as human proteins left behind during the manufacturing process.
By: ANP | Photo: ANP
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