Thrombosis and thrombocytopenia after vaccination against and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 7167 - 10
• Main Authors: Burn, Edward, Li, Xintong, Delmestri, Antonella, Jones, Nathan, Duarte-Salles, Talita, Reyes, Carlen, Martinez-Hernandez, Eugenia, Marti, Edelmira, Verhamme, Katia M. C., Rijnbeek, Peter R., Strauss, Victoria Y., Prieto-Alhambra, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23-11-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308/174; 692/308/409; 692/4019/592/75/593/567; BNT162 Vaccine; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - adverse effects; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immunization; Infections; multidisciplinary; Population studies; Population-based studies; Safety; SARS-CoV-2; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Thrombocytopenia; Thrombocytopenia - epidemiology; Thrombocytopenia - etiology; Thromboembolism; Thrombosis; Thrombosis - epidemiology; Thrombosis - etiology; United Kingdom; Vaccination - adverse effects; Vaccines; Venous Thromboembolism - epidemiology; Venous Thromboembolism - etiology; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34668-w

Population-based studies can provide important evidence on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Using data from the United Kingdom, here we compare observed rates of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and infection with SARS-CoV-2 with background (expected) rates in the general population. First and second dose cohorts for ChAdOx1 or BNT162b2 between 8 December 2020 and 2 May 2021 in the United Kingdom were identified. A further cohort consisted of people with no prior COVID-19 vaccination who were infected with SARS-Cov-2 identified by a first positive PCR test between 1 September 2020 and 2 May 2021. The fourth general population cohort for background rates included those people in the database as of 1 January 2017. In total, we included 3,768,517 ChAdOx1 and 1,832,841 BNT162b2 vaccinees, 401,691 people infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 9,414,403 people from the general population. An increased risk of venous thromboembolism was seen after first dose of ChAdOx1 (standardized incidence ratio: 1.12 [95% CI: 1.05 to 1.20]), BNT162b2 (1.12 [1.03 to 1.21]), and positive PCR test (7.27 [6.86 to 7.72]). Rates of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis were higher than otherwise expected after first dose of ChAdOx1 (4.14 [2.54 to 6.76]) and a SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive test (3.74 [1.56 to 8.98]). Rates of arterial thromboembolism after vaccination were no higher than expected but were increased after a SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive test (1.39 [1.21 to 1.61]). Rates of venous thromboembolism with thrombocytopenia were higher than expected after a SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive test (5.76 [3.19 to 10.40]).
Population-based studies can provide information on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Here the authors report the rates thrombosis and thrombocytopenia after vaccination against and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom and compare them with the background (expected) rates in the general population.