Initial data generated by one database at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a potential correlation for older individuals who got their COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot. While the CDC flagged this potential link in early January, the signal has been observed to be weaker than thought.
Such data was relayed during an expert panel meeting among those who give the CDC advice about the policies regarding the vaccine.
Reuters reports that officials from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted that they did not detect any connection between stroke risk and the booster dose across two databases for safety monitoring.
CNBC notes how the FDA deployed a comprehensive review of federal information after this possible link was brought up by CDC investigators.
Is the Pfizer Booster Dose Significantly Linked to Heightened Stroke Risk?
Health officials from the US reportedly detected the potential connection to ischemic strokes in the VSD (Vaccine Safety Datalink) database. This was particularly true among those beyond 65 years old who got the latest booster dose. They noted at that time, however, that such findings had less likelihood of becoming significant clinical threats.
CNBC reports that investigators at the CDC noted that 130 seniors experienced strokes in the 3 weeks after their Pfizer booster dose. This was among the 550,000 documented recipients in the VSD database. A man in his 70s also passed away a month after getting the stroke, which is the probable reason behind his death.
However, Dr. Nicole Klein of Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare firm that handles VSD information for the CDC, notes that stroke rates seen in the database have slowed down recently. Dr. Klein further expresses, however, that these signals still had statistical significance and were, thus, unlikely to be due to mere chance.
Such statistical signs were first pointed out in late November and had persisted through January. However, they have eased over time.
She notes that flu vaccination could also be a factor, given how most confirmed cases also had a simultaneous flu shot.
Richard Forshee, a scientist at the FDA, notes how the agency is looking into studying whether stroke risks increase due to receiving two booster doses at the same time.
Booster Shots Should Not Be Negated
Both authorities still think that older adults should get their booster dose, as it is now designed to combat Omicron variants, too.
According to USNews, professor and doctor Walid Gellas, who teaches medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, noted how the concern needs to be investigated further. He notes how, at times, signals do not appear clear. He also expresses how it is quite sensible to further delve into it while it is not sensible to alter the entire practice considering how getting booster doses, among this age group, has known advantages and benefits.
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