Reports of rare and unusual blood clots have resulted in several vaccine roll outs being paused while scientists scramble to work out if the vaccines are responsible and if so how.
The unusual combination of symptoms, including a low platelet count and clots focussed in the abdomen or brain, seems similar to a rare side effect from treatment with the drug blood thinning drug Heparin - however it is not clear how the vaccines could cause the syndrome.
In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the latest theories and ask how scientists are trying to get to the bottom of this important question. Medical regulators maintain that the benefits of these vaccines significantly outweigh the risks. But as uncertainty spreads, we ponder the wider implications of these reports, including the public perception of risk.
News: How could a COVID vaccine cause blood clots? Scientists race to investigate
Coronapod: How to define rare COVID vaccine side effects
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Why COP28 probably won't keep the 1.5 degree dream alive
Audio long read: Apple revival — how science is bringing historic varieties back to life
Polio could be eradicated within 3 years — what happens then?
Dust: the tiny substance with enormous power
How to 3D print fully-formed robots
How to tame a toxic yet life-saving antifungal
Nature's Take: How will ChatGPT and generative AI transform research?
A new hydrogel can be directly injected into muscle to help it regenerate
Audio long read: Why BMI is flawed — and how to redefine obesity
Martian sounds reveal the secrets of the red planet's core
Sounds of recovery: AI helps monitor wildlife during forest restoration
An anti-CRISPR system that helps save viruses from destruction
Gene edits move pig organs closer to human transplantation
'This doesn't just fall on women': computer scientists reflect on gender biases in STEM
Astronomers are worried by a satellite brighter than most stars
Audio long read: These animals are racing towards extinction. A new home might be their last chance
This isn't the Nature Podcast — how deepfakes are distorting reality
Why does cancer spread to the spine? Newly discovered stem cells might be the key
A mussel-inspired glue for more sustainable sticking
Our ancestors lost nearly 99% of their population, 900,000 years ago
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free