The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
Guillain-Barré syndrome, or GBS, is an autoimmune reaction in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves.
“It’s a side effect of activating the immune system; it’s not entirely clear why it happens in a few people but not the large majority who are vaccinated,” Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, the director of global health with Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, said.
Cioe-Peña said this information should guide every patient in making an informed decision.
Scientists will continue to track the occurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome in recently vaccinated individuals.
“Observational studies showing the rates of Guillain-Barré syndrome with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are important, as well as trying to figure out which part of the vaccine triggers the immune response that leads to Guillain-Barré syndrome,” said Sheikh.
The symptoms begin with a tingling, numbing sensation in the feet that quickly travels up the body. In rare cases, it can cause paralysis.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a very rare side effect known to occur after other infections, like influenza, gastrointestinal infections, and other respiratory infections. It can also occur after vaccinations, such as the flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine.
Most people who develop Guillain-Barré syndrome recover, though some may experience lingering pain and weakness.
Treatment typically involves being hospitalised and receiving an infusion of immunoglobulins to calm the immune system’s reaction. Another procedure called plasmapheresis can remove the antibodies that are formed by the immune system.
What’s link?
Two people developed Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Johnson & Johnson clinical trial — one of the patients received the placebo injection and the other received an active vaccine.
The researchers said there was insufficient evidence to determine a causal relationship between the Johnson & Johnson shot and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Since then, about 100 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome out of 12.8 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses have been reported. Most of the patients were men over age 50. The patients developed the illness about 2 weeks after vaccination.
Officials from the FDA state that the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson shot outweigh the potential risks. Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination is extremely rare, and the shot provides strong protection against severe illness and death.
“This is a known side effect of other vaccines, and the benefits still far outweigh risk,” Cioe-Peña said.
Attractive for Africa
J&J’s single dose is attractive for nations in the continent where 40% of the people survive on less than $1.90 a day and getting a vaccine means losing a day’s wage.
Transporting vaccines into remote areas across dense forests and deserts is another challenge faced by governments looking to inoculate their people as cases surge in the continent. An added advantage is J&J’s vials can be kept at the temperature of a normal refrigerator.
So far, the African Union has ordered 400 million J&J vaccines. The U.S. is also sending millions of doses to the continent in the form of donations, and South Africa alone has ordered 31 million doses separate of the African Union’s arrangements.
“We have letters of credit and all the paper work to receive some J&J vaccines,” Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, director-general of Ghana’s health service said in an interview. Looking at the cost-benefit analysis, “it is much safer to take the vaccine,” he said.
The Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team was set up by the African Union to acquire additional vaccine doses so that the continent can attain a target immunization of 60%.
Only 1.3% of Africa’s 1.2 billion people are fully vaccinated, meaning that hundreds of millions of people are still vulnerable to infection and severe illness.
At the time of reporting this story, 6.07 million Africans are confirmed to have been infected with the disease and almost 155,000 have died. In the week before this publication alone deaths had risen more than 40% as the continent was in the grip of a severe third wave of infections.
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