The AstraZeneca vaccine may increase the risk of severe neurological syndrome of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with the Jab Trojan horse delivery system possibly guilty, scientists believe, in a finding that could be applied to similar vaccines .
GBS is a rare disease that causes numbness and muscle aches, and can make it difficult to move, walk, swallow, and sometimes even breathe.
It is often caused by the insect of Campylobacter gastroenteritis, which has a surface coating that looks slightly human and therefore can sometimes cause the body to attack its own nerves instead of invading germs, leading to GBS.
Now, scientists at University College London (UCL) have found an increase in GBS cases in the first two to four weeks after the AstraZeneca vaccine, but not in other vaccines, such as Pfizer or Moderna.
Like many vaccines, the Oxford jab uses a weakened chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver coronavirus ear protein to the body, and scientists have speculated that a reaction to the adenovirus may be responsible for the increase in cases.
Adenovirus usually causes the common cold, but scientists are beginning to think that it can also mimic human cells in a similar way to Campylobacter, confusing the immune system to attack the body.
Lead author Professor Michael Lunn (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) said: “At this time we do not know why a vaccine can cause these very small increases in GBS.
“Non – specific immune activation may occur in susceptible individuals, but if this were the case, similar risks could be applied to all types of vaccines.
“Therefore, it is logical to suggest that the simi adenovirus vector, often used to develop vaccines, including AstraZeneca, may explain the increased risk.”
Unusual increase in GBS reports
Adenovirus-based vaccines are used against a wide variety of pathogens, tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria.
GBS affects around 1,500 people in the UK each year and between 30% and 40% of cases have no known cause, leading researchers to suspect that adenovirus could be a factor.
During the 1976 swine flu vaccination campaign in the U.S., there was a small increase in GBS associated with the flu flu at the time, which led scientists to question whether Covid’s blows could have an effect. similar.
To find out, UCL researchers conducted a population-based study of NHS data in England to track GBS case rates against the deployment of vaccination.
Between January and October 2021, 996 cases of GBS were reported in the UK’s national immunoglobulin database, but there was an unusual increase in GBS reports between March and April 2021.
During these two months there were about 140 cases per month compared to the historical rates of about 100 per month, an increase of 40%.
The analysis showed that 198 cases of GBS (20%) occurred in the six weeks following vaccination of the first dose of Covid-19 in England.
Overall, after a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, there were 5.8 cases of excess GBS per million vaccine doses, equivalent to an absolute total excess between January and July 2021 of between 98 and 140 cases. .
The rate is still significantly lower than the rate of every 1,000 GBS associated with Campylobacter.
The data suggest that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine increases the risk of GBS
Recent U.S. data also suggests that the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine, which also uses an adenovirus entry system, increases the risk of GBS to levels similar to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“We know that Pfizer and Moderna do not cause BDS, but Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca do, and the only communal link is an adenovirus vector,” added Professor Lund.
“Johnson & Johnson is not the same because they use a human adenovirus, but it is similar and the implications are broad because adenoviruses are used in many vaccines and gene therapies.
“The benefits of these vaccines and drugs are huge and the risk is small and there aren’t that many viral vectors you can use, but it’s good that the public is aware of the risks.
“And theoretically, if we know what virus is causing GBS, we can disable it and we could prevent the disease from progressing.”
The new research was published in the journal Brain.
The benefits of the vaccine “continue to outweigh the potential risks”
A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: “Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) has been reported very rarely after vaccination with Vaxzevria. Vaccination of any kind is a known risk factor for GBS and is observed. in the manuscript that the small number of GBS cases seems similar to the increases previously observed in other mass vaccination campaigns.
“It should also be noted that in the United Kingdom, Vaxzevria was administered to more people than any other vaccine during the time period studied in the manuscript.
“The study notes that the small number of cases should be compared to how many infections, hospitalizations and deaths our vaccine has prevented due to Covid-19. Current estimates show that worldwide vaccine has helped prevent 50 millions of cases of Covid-19, five million hospitalizations and has saved more than a million lives.
“The EMA and other international bodies, including the WHO, have stated that the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh any potential risks.”