Leukemia found after vaccination for COVID-19, is it caused by the vaccine? See what medical experts say

Recently, there have been comments on the Internet that some people have developed leukemia after being vaccinated against COVID-19. Is it possible that the two are related?

The COVID-19 epidemic is still the largest in the world, and the most effective way to prevent and control it is to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Like other countries in the world, the Chinese government has been vigorously promoting and promoting the vaccination of the people against COVID-19. Vaccines have also shown their importance in outbreaks everywhere.

It is undeniable that some of us will have adverse reactions after vaccination. In most cases, the adverse reactions are relatively mild and often recover within a few days. However, some people on the Internet claimed that they were diagnosed with leukemia after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and it was suspected that it was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. Is this true?

The relationship between vaccines and leukemia

In fact, since the vaccine came out, people all over the world have been worried, will the vaccine cause leukemia? The answer is clear: there is no evidence that vaccinations cause leukemia.

A 1999 study (DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690668) showed no relationship between vaccination and subsequent risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the vast majority of infants; another in 2005 Similar results were also confirmed in the study (DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyi113). DPT, MMR and polio vaccinations were not associated with leukemia risk, and some vaccines even reduced the risk of leukemia.

From the perspective of the pathogenesis of leukemia, it is related to both internal and external factors. First, the patient may have some kind of congenital susceptibility or chromosomal aberration. This is the internal cause of leukemia, coupled with external factors. The role of environmental pollution, virus infection, ionizing radiation, chemical factors, etc. Based on our understanding of the pathogenesis of leukemia, the research on various vaccines in the past and the statistics of COVID-19 vaccines all show that there is no causal relationship between the COVID-19 vaccines currently used in China or abroad and the onset of leukemia.

Leukemia found after vaccination for COVID-19, is it caused by the vaccine?

Adverse reactions to vaccines are not uncommon. Whether it is the COVID-19 vaccine or other vaccines, adverse reactions may occur. But to judge whether this adverse reaction is caused by the vaccine, certain judgment standards are required. We generally consider six aspects:

1) Time correlation: The first thing to judge is the time correlation, whether it appears after vaccination. Some diseases may have existed before, but people don’t pay attention to it. Of course, if you have symptoms before vaccination, it is generally not possible to judge that it is related to the vaccine.

2) Whether there is a theoretical basis: This requires professional doctors to judge whether the pathophysiology of the disease is related to vaccination. For example, live attenuated vaccines are generally not given to immunocompromised people to avoid infection. As analyzed above, the causes of leukemia are often quite complicated, often related to the patient's own genes and exposure to carcinogens. Generally, it does not happen in a day. So far, there is no theoretical evidence that vaccination will cause leukemia. leukemia.

3) Correlation strength: that is, judging from statistics, how likely is the vaccine to have such an adverse reaction. At present, there are almost no cases of leukemia-related adverse reactions of the COVID-19 vaccine that we have monitored. Some have caused thrombocytopenia, but there have been no reports of leukemia.

4) Consistency of association: It also depends on whether other people who have been vaccinated have similar symptoms and diseases. For example, whether the incidence of leukemia among the vaccinated population is higher than the normal baseline level. But this also requires the statistical results of a large sample.

5) Whether the reaction is regular: that is, whether such adverse reactions will reappear if the vaccine is re-vaccinated after the vaccine is stopped. We cannot judge this point, because it is impossible for people with leukemia to get vaccinated again and get it again. But sometimes the fever caused by vaccination may recur at the next vaccination.

6) The specificity of the association: This also requires the judgment of the doctor, whether the patient who develops leukemia after vaccination has any other possible pathogenic factors besides vaccination.

Summarize

After we have been vaccinated, if we feel unsuitable, we should seek medical attention immediately. If we suspect that it is related to the vaccine, we can explain it to professional medical staff, because whether it is really related to the vaccine or not, we have the right to report suspicious vaccine adverse reactions. Whether there are these rumors or not, the adverse reactions of COVID-19 vaccines (especially the correlation with severe abnormal reactions) will always be tracked and studied. We also hope that various statistics will be sufficiently transparent and released in time , to dispel doubts in people's minds.

In short, we should not be too nervous. At present, there are still a small number of people who have serious adverse reactions after being vaccinated. It can be seen that the vaccine is still very safe.

references:

[1] Zhao Changan. Vaccines and their adverse reactions [J]. Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics, 2013, 28 (22): 1689-1691.

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