Vaccines
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Review
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after COVID-19 Vaccination: In Search of the Underlying Mechanism.
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope for successful pandemic mitigation and getting the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 under control. The vaccines authorized in Europe displayed a good safety profile in the clinical trials. However, during their post-authorization use, unusual thrombotic events associated with thrombocytopenia have rarely been reported for vector vaccines. ⋯ It is also plausible that thrombotic thrombocytopenia after the COVID-19 vaccine is multifactorial. The elucidation of the causes of these adverse events is pivotal in taking precautionary measures and managing vaccine hesitancy. It needs to be stressed, however, that the reported cases are currently sporadic and that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines vastly outweigh their potential risks.
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There has been a continuous underrepresentation of minorities in healthcare research and vaccine trials, along with long-standing systemic racism and discrimination that have been fueling the distrust of the healthcare system among these communities for decades. The history and legacy of racial injustices and negative experiences within a culturally insensitive healthcare system have greatly contributed to vaccine hesitancy among ethnic minorities. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy will impact vaccine uptake in the US, subsequently hindering the establishment of herd immunity (75-85% of the population vaccinated) to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. ⋯ This information is crucial for educating these communities about COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution as well as dispelling misinformation regarding vaccine trials, safety, and efficacy. This lack of education has greatly contributed to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and will increase disparities in vaccine uptake. Moreover, timely vaccinations are also essential to curtailing virus transmission and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that may evade the immune response produced by the three existing COVID-19 vaccines.