UK scientists find higher risk of brain clots from COVID-19 compared with vaccines

There is a much higher risk of brain blood clots from COVID-19 infection than there is from vaccines against the disease, British researchers said on Thursday, after the rollout of inoculations was disrupted by reports of rare clots. AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) have both seen very rare reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) linked to their vaccines. On Wednesday, the United States paused vaccinations using J&J’s shot while a link with clots was investigated, with Denmark ditching AstraZeneca’s shot over the issue. British and European regulators have stressed that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. A study of 500,000 COVID-19 patients found CVST had occurred at a rate of 39 people out of a million following infection, researchers said. That compares with European Medicines Agency (EMA) figures showing that 5 in a million people reported CVST after getting AstraZeneca's shot.