People administered the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, known as Covishield in India, had a slightly higher risk of a bleeding disorder and other rare blood problems, noted researchers. 

The study included 2.53 million adults in Scotland who were given their first doses of either the AstraZeneca vaccine or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Around 1.7 million doses were of the AstraZeneca vaccine. There appeared to be no increased risk of blood disorders with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was associated with a slight increase in the risk of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The estimated risk was 1.13 cases per 100,000 people receiving their first dose, up to 27 days following vaccination. The study was published in the Nature Medicine… (ET Healthworld – NY Times, June 10, 2021)