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The Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine may be associated with a slightly increased risk of some bleeding disorders, according to new data, but such cases are very rare and the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh the risks, say researchers.
An analysis of people who received a first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine revealed a small increased risk of an autoimmune bleeding condition known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) associated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, separate to the blood clotting syndrome that was linked to the vaccine previously.
In ITP, the immune system destroys platelets, the blood cells that help the blood to clot. The condition can cause minor bruising in some people and excessive bleeding and long-term illness in others, but the symptoms are usually mild and death from ITP is very rare.
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