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Coronavirus

16th Mar 2021

Doctor debunks the myth that the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots

Danny Jones

AstraZeneca vaccine has recently speculated to have severe side-effects

Beyond Covid deniers and conspiracy theorists, the fears around the AstraZeneca vaccine against coronavirus have now reached a dangerous precedent.

Several European countries are now blocking the rollout of the jab. This comes after concerns were raised that it causes blood clots. Here’s the long and short of it: it doesn’t.

Hopefully, this is only temporary as they carry out further independent testing as a precaution. Getting these vaccines out to as many people as possible is crucial in order for the world to get back to normal.

For those of you who spend too much time on social media listening to Joe Bloggs’, apparently, ‘expert’ opinion on vaccinations, why not listen to the real experts?

In a very quick and accessible TikTok, Dr. Karan Raj – a surgeon and clinical lecturer at Imperial College London – breaks down what all the fuss is about.

@dr.karanrReply to @jo_wit4 ?? clots?! #LiftYourDream #schoolwithdrkaran #learnontiktok♬ Drive Forever – Remix – Sergio Valentino

Dr. Raj has been using the influential social media platform to educate people on healthcare. Like most of us, he’s clearly had enough of people speculating too. Cheers for helping put the myth to bed, Doc.

As he unpicks in this short clip, the statistics being cited are nothing to do with the AstraZeneca vaccine. In fact, while blood clots have been diagnosed as an effect of Covid-19, these numbers are no different from normal averages.

Put simply, these stats are nothing to do with the vaccine. 30 out of 5 million (0.0006%) of people experience blood clots in the everyday population. Clotting, strokes and heart attacks all existed before Covid and the AstraZeneca vaccine. Simple.

In this instance, it’s not even a case of correlation over causation – as he says: “Coincidence is not causation”.

Test have been and continue to be done, precautions have and will be taken. Leave it to the experts.