Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) Associated with AstraZeneca Vaccine: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Several vaccines have been approved to be used during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, serious concerns have been raised due to vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) reported with the AstraZeneca vaccine. This study is done to assess the vaccine's safety and summarize the background, evaluation, and management of a patient with VITT. Employing a meticulous literature search on PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords such as "AstraZeneca," "COVID-19 vaccine," "Clot," "Clots," "Thrombosis," and "Thrombus formation" in various combinations, 34 resources were identified, with 11 containing primary data on 28 documented VITT cases. The analysis revealed a gender distribution of 28.6% male and 71.4% female, spanning ages 22 to 74 years (median: 36 years). VITT symptoms manifested within 1 to 17 days post-vaccination. The predominant thrombotic sites were Central Venous Thrombosis, Splenic Vein Thrombosis, and Pulmonary Embolism. Notably, 46.4% of cases showed improvement, while 53.6% resulted in fatalities. This research underscores the rare but serious risk of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia associated with AstraZeneca vaccination, highlighting the importance of continued vigilance and monitoring in the ongoing global vaccination campaigns.