But agency insists findings ‘still under investigation’
Joe Biden delivers remarks on the FDA giving full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House photo by Adam Schultz)
By Art Moore
A new study by the Food and Drug Administration confirms the concerns of many physicians worldwide of a link between blood clots and the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The researchers examined data covering 17.4 million elderly Americans who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. They found that the incidents of pulmonary embolism, or blood clotting in the lungs, met the initial safety signal, meaning further investigation is warranted, the Epoch Times reported.
After a more thorough evaluation, the statistical signal continued to meet the criteria. Researchers said three other outcomes initially raised red flags but did not meet the statistical threshold: a lack of oxygen to the heart, a blood platelet disorder called immune thrombocytopenia, and another type of clotting called intravascular coagulation.
The FDA, however, said it will not act on the results because they don’t prove the vaccines cause any of the four outcomes. The agency said the findings, published by the journal Vaccine, “are still under investigation and require more robust study.”
Without citing any evidence, the authors said the FDA “strongly believes the potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the potential risks of COVID-19 infection.”
The researchers found the safety signals were detected only after Pfizer vaccination.