Suspected side effects of COVID vaccine
Sarah Birch, a mother of two and former cheese shop worker, developed distressing symptoms after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, which followed with four days in a coma. Birch received the AstraZeneca vaccine in May last year.
She has now also been diagnosed with a rare and serious condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome. Read on to know about what exactly happened with her after getting jabbed.
Initial symptoms after vaccination
The 46-year-old mom from Staffordshire, England, told Stoke-on-Trent Live that initially she experienced mild symptoms after vaccination. These included dizziness, backache and tingling in toes and tongue. Later she suddenly collapsed and was taken to hospital. She was put on a ventilator and remained in a coma for four days.
Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosis
Birch was then diagnosed with the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. This condition causes pain, weakness and numbness, mostly in the hands, feet and limbs.
Usually, people are able to make a full recovery from this condition after treatment. However, occasionally it can be life-threatening. Some people with Guillain-Barré syndrome can be left with long-term health problems.
Probe into vaccine safety
Birch has filed to claim compensation for the loss of her health and earnings from the UK government’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). An independent third-party assessment is taking place to assess the claim.
Birch blames the vaccine for ruining her life. She said, “My life has completely changed. I don’t sleep and am in constant pain. It has been a long journey and I feel that if I didn't have the vaccine my life would be normal."
She added, “I have been through hell and back through no fault of my own and now I feel like I am left on the shelf. I feel like it’s mental torture. I feel let down and I can’t move on with my life - I need the money because I’ve not got a job.”
AstraZeneca vaccine’s suspected side effects
According to the European Medicines Agency, since its roll out, about 69 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID jab have been given to people in Europe. Of these, around 360,000 reported cases of suspected side effects.
In a trial, more than 23,000 patients were given the AstraZeneca vaccine. The most commonly reported side effects included headaches, fatigue, fever, chills and nausea. Majority of these reactions were mild or moderate, and usually resolved in a few days after the jab.
AstraZeneca's response
On this subject, an AstraZeneca spokesperson said, “The safety of anyone taking AstraZeneca’s vaccine is paramount and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.”