Webinar: Vaccination against COVID-19 and VITT
An international scientific webinar about Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT)
On 11 March 2021, the Danish Health Authority suspended the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria®) pending national and international investigations into safety signals.
In the following four weeks, a new syndrome was described (Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT), causality was established, and a Danish-Norwegian registry study estimated the occurrance of VITT following Vaxzevria® as 1 per 40,000 vaccinated. Based on these findings, and a contextual assessment of the current Danish epidemic, on 14 April 2021, the Danish Health Authority decided to continue the national vaccine rollout in Denmark without Vaxzevria®.
This webinar aimed to openly and transparently disseminate knowledge and share insights. Thus, the webinar presented the latest information on the epidemiology, possible pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and public health implications of VITT.
Each session consisted of comprehensive presentations followed by a debate moderated by experts.
Program and recordings
Welcome and Session 1: 'Discovery of the adverse events - Introduction to the theme and purpose of the webinar'
13.00-13.05
Welcome
- Søren Brostrøm, MD, PhD, MPA, Director General, Danish Health Authority, Denmark
13.05-14.00
Session 1: Discovery of the adverse events - Introduction to the theme and purpose of the webinar
- Chair: Anne Mette Hvas, Professor, MD, PhD, Deputy Head of Department, Aarhus University, Denmark
The Danish experience: reactions by the authorities, scientific investigations, and public health reflections
- Søren Brostrøm, MD, PhD, MPA, Director General, Danish Health Authority, Denmark
Pharmaco-epidemiological investigations within the Norwegian and Danish cohort
- Anton Pottegård, Professor, MSc, PhD, University of Southern Denmark - presentation ppt Anton Pottegård
The German experience
- Andreas Greinacher, Professor, MD, DMSc. University of Greifswald, Germany
Panel discussion
- Session speakers including Beverly J. Hunt, Professor, MD, King’s College London, UK
14.00-14.05
Break
Session 2: 'Discovery of the adverse events Introduction to the theme and purpose of the webinar'
14.05-14.50
Session 2: Clinical care perspectives on vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT)
- Chair: Lars Østergaard, Clinical Professor, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Chair, Aarhus University, Denmark
Proposed case-definition of VITT and treatment algorithm
- Jakob Stensballe, Senior Consultant, MD, PhD, Rigshospitalet, Denmark - presentation ppt Jakob Stensballe
Biomarker investigations and genetic studies
- Sisse Rye Ostrowski, Professor, MD, PhD, DMSc and Chief Physician, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Panel discussion: State-of-the-art diagnosis & treatment of VITT
- Anne Mette Hvas, Professor, MD, PhD, Deputy Head of Department, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Jakob Stensballe, Senior Consultant, MD, PhD, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
- Sisse Rye Ostrowski, Professor, MD, PhD, DMSc and Chief Physician, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Andreas Greinacher, Professor, MD, DMSc., University of Greifswald, Germany
- Beverly J. Hunt, Professor, MD, King’s College London, UK.
14.50-14.55
Break
Session 3: 'The importance of different adenovirus vectors in VITT'
14.55-15.25
Session 3: The importance of different adenovirus vectors in VITT
- Chair: Jens Lundgren, Professor, MD, DMSc, Senior Consultant, Academic Chair, Director, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
US-experience from the rollout of the J&J vaccine
- Narayan Nair, MD, Division Director, Division of Epidemiology, FDA, USA - presentation ppt Narayan Nair
Discussion
- Jens Lundgren, Professor, MD, DMSc, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Narayan Nair, MD, Division Director, Division of Epidemiology, FDA, USA
15.25-15.30
Break
Session 4: 'Difficult dilemma: the public health benefits versus risks' & Closing remarks
15.30-16.15
Session 4: Difficult dilemma: the public health benefits versus risks
- Chair: Jesper Hallas, Professor, MD, Dr.Med.Sc, University of Southern Denmark
What can economics contribute with?
- Trygve Ottersen, MD, PhD, Director, Management and Staff for Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway - presentation ppt Trygve Ottersen
Panel discussion
- Siddhartha Datta, MD, MPH, Regional Adviser, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Immunization, WHO Europe
- Georgy Genov, MD, Head of Pharmacovigilance Office, within Quality and Safety of Medi-cines Department, European Medicines Agency, EMA
- Camilla Stoltenberg, MD, PhD, Direc-tor General, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NorwaySøren Brostrøm, MD, PhD, MPA, Director General, Danish Health Authority, Denmark
16.15-16.20
Closing remarks
- Søren Brostrøm, MD, PhD, MPA, Director General, Danish Health Authority, Denmark