Covid vaccine fears rubbished as DoH says 'no evidence' of link to new condition

The Department of Health have slammed reports that a new condition linked to the Covid vaccine has developed after claiming there is "no evidence" to support the report.

Earler this week it was reported that scientists were investigating a new condition believed to be caused by the Covid vaccinated - dubbed 'Long Vax'.

Scientists from Harvard and Yale were studying the "debilitating" suite of symptoms that included headaches, fatigue, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure.

Researchers said the condition could be due to an immune overreaction to the Covid protein in some patients, adding that it was a "rare" side effect.

But speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said there was "no evidence" of such condition being linked to the vaccine.

They said: "Over 151 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have now been administered in the UK, saving tens of thousands of lives through the biggest vaccination programme that has ever taken place in this country.

"As part of our ongoing rigorous safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines, we closely review the Yellow Card reports submitted to us in the UK alongside safety data from other sources from the UK and internationally. We also work closely with our UK public health partners to evaluate data on the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.

"Current evidence does not support an association between the risk of long COVID or 'long-vax' and COVID-19 vaccination. However, there is evidence that those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to report symptoms of long COVID following infection from the virus.

"As with all vaccines and medicines, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is continuously monitored and we continue to keep emerging information under review. We ask anyone who suspects they have experienced a side effect linked with their COVID-19 vaccine to report it via our Yellow Card scheme website."

Experts at Harvard and Yale said the symptoms that can appear hours, day or weeks after getting the vaccine can persist for months.

Though the list of symptoms has similarities with Long Covid, experts stressed it was extremely rare and that the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks.

Other symptoms include tingling, burning pain and blood circulation issues, reports MailOnline.

Doctors are reportedly seeing dozens of patients coming in with symptoms that align with the new condition, though the true number is not yet known.

Dr Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale, is leading a study of around 2,000 people into the issue.

He said it was proving "controversial" due to the number of vaccines that have saved millions of lives with studies showing the jab also decreases risk of Long Covid substantially.

Long Covid is relatively common, with one in eight adults who get infected with the virus suffering ongoing symptoms for months.

Dr Anne Louise Oaklander, a neurologist and researcher at Harvard Medical School, told Science: "You see one or two patients [with possible Long Vax] and you wonder if it’s a coincidence. But by the time you’ve seen 10, 20... Where there’s smoke, there’s fire."

In Long Vax, researchers suggest it is being caused by a similar immune overreaction to the Covid spike protein that the vaccine uses to generate antibodies.

One idea is that some people produce a second round of antibodies which then mistakenly attack the healthy cells.

The antibodies might also bind to ACE2, a receptor that aids regulation of blood pressure and heart rate but is also used by Covid to enter the body. If the antibodies get in the way of ACE2's signaling, then that could lead to the faster heart rates and fluctuating blood pressure.

The condition is still being researched.