Staff Reports
The CDC is currently investigating a safety concern regarding some COVID-19 vaccines.
On Friday, the CDC announced that it is investigating a possible link between the COVID-19 vaccine and an increased risk of stroke in people over 65 years old. Last fall, the FDA allowed the use of bivalent vaccines, which are designed to target the original strain of COVID-19 and two subvariants.
The agency noted that the preliminary findings of its investigation did not find a link between the Moderna vaccine and an increased risk of stroke. Despite the agency's findings, the FDA noted that the data collected by one system did not reveal a link between the vaccine and an increased stroke risk. It also said that it would continue to monitor the situation.
According to the Washington Post, officials discussed whether to publicize the finding, as it is considered to be an unsubstantiated claim. But, a CDC official said that doing so would help build confidence.
Kit Longley, a spokesperson for Pfizer, noted that the company and its German partner BioNTech are aware of a small number of reports of stroke. However, he noted that there is no evidence suggesting that the use of the vaccines for COVID-19 causes ischemic stroke.
The agency announced that the findings of the investigation will be discussed at a meeting of its vaccine advisory committee on January 26. According to Stroke.org, almost 80% of strokes are caused by an ischemic type, which occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked.
From August to October, the CDC received 12 reports of transient ischemic attacks or an ischemic stroke in people who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 using the BioNTech-Pfizer bivalent vaccine.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on RIGHT WIRE REPORT.
