Rare ‘possible’ side effect listed from AstraZeneca vaccine
The European Medicines Agency has listed the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause temporary paralysis, as a “very rare” side effect of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome was a “very rare” side effect, occurring in under one in 10,000 people, it added. The disorder is a nerve inflammation that may cause temporary paralysis and difficulty breathing.
In the United States, the very rare syndrome affects an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people each year and most go on to recover.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued a warning in July of an increased risk of developing the neurological disorder with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. But both agencies noted that the incidence of such cases was extremely rare and the benefits of the vaccines still outweighed the risks.
