Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Yellow Card reports citing (a) immune thrombocytopenia and (b) low platelet counts as possible adverse effects from covid-19 vaccinations were received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March 2021.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an adverse event of special interest for COVID-19 vaccines and was under enhanced monitoring from the start of the United Kingdom immunisation programme. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency first received a report of suspected ITP following COVID-19 vaccination in late December 2020.

No spontaneous suspected adverse reaction reports were received through the Yellow Card scheme for ITP or Thrombocytopenic purpura in January 2021, 26 reports were received in February 2021 and 62 reports were received in March 2021.

9 spontaneous suspected adverse reaction reports were received through the Yellow Card scheme for Thrombocytopenia in January 2021, 15 reports were received in February 2021 and 124 reports were received in March 2021.

No spontaneous suspected adverse reaction reports were received through the Yellow Card scheme for decreased Platelet count in January 2021, 9 reports were received in February 2021 and 56 reports were received in March 2021.

It should be noted that the sum of suspected adverse reactions above will not equal the number of Yellow Card reports, due to some reports containing more than one adverse reaction.