A new study has found that people with blood type O may face a higher risk of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), also known as venous stroke, after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India.
The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, analyzed data from 523 CVT patients, including 82 who experienced CVT after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine and 441 unvaccinated CVT patients.
Researchers discovered that persons with blood type O were more prevalent among those who suffered a venous stroke after vaccination, with 43 percent having blood type O compared to 17 percent in unvaccinated CVT patients.
Professor Pankaj Sharma from Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Our work suggests that it may be possible to predict those most at risk of cerebral venous thrombosis stroke following Covid-19 vaccination using a simple test for blood group. Those with blood group O seem two-and-a-half times more likely to be in the post-vaccine risk group.”
The study also highlighted that previous research had shown individuals with blood type A were more susceptible to severe COVID-19, regardless of gender.
Sharma added, “Predicting who is more likely to suffer from stroke after vaccination may provide confidence to governments for using this vaccine — particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where cheaper and more easily transportable vaccines could prove more effective.”
