EMA’s PRAC Requests Additional Data on Guillain-Barré Syndrome in COVID-19 Vaccine

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on August 6, 2021 that its Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) is requesting additional data from AstraZeneca regarding reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination with the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria. PRAC is analyzing data about the rare immune system disorder, which causes nerve inflammation, to determine if updates to the product’s information and risk management plan are necessary. The request follows the committee’s recommendation to include a warning about Guillain-Barré syndrome in the product information.

EMA stated in a press release that, “People taking the vaccine are advised to seek immediate medical attention if they develop weakness and paralysis in the extremities that can progress to the chest and face. These side effects are very rare, and the benefit-risk balance of the vaccine remains unchanged.”