Another person in B.C. has been diagnosed with a rare blood clot disorder following a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The man in his 40s is currently recovering in hospital in the Fraser Health region, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday.
This is now the second case of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic, or VITT, that officials have seen since beginning the COVID-19 vaccine program.
Earlier this month, a woman in her 40s became the first person in the province to be diagnosed with VITT.
She was stable and receiving treatment in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Henry said this is very rare, but VITT is associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. So far, research shows it affects about one in 100,000 doses.
More than 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca have been administered in the province, Henry confirmed Thursday.
Read more:
Woman diagnosed with B.C.’s first rare blood clot disorder following AstraZeneca vaccine
The rare disorder can affect someone between day four and day 28 after receiving the vaccine, Henry said at a previous briefing.
If anyone feels unwell after receiving any vaccine, they should call 811 or speak to their doctor right away.
Read more:
Risk of blood clots appears ‘even more rare’ on 2nd AstraZeneca dose: experts
Symptoms of VITT include:
- Severe headache
- Visual changes
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling and pain in a limb
Henry said there is a test that can be done that will indicate if a person is suffering from symptoms of VITT.
“This is rare but it is also serious,” she said.
