Evaluating AstraZeneca’s shot after European regulators say blood clots are a rare side effect

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• Experts tell us that AstraZeneca's vaccine is safer than flying on a plane;
• Humana just hired a Goldman Sachs vet to lead corporate development and M&A;
• The most common side effects to expect from each vaccine.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…

Getting AstraZeneca's shot is safer than flying on a plane, experts say – the bigger problem is an 'explosion of vaccine skepticism'

• Blood clots are a "very rare" side effect of AstraZeneca's shot, European regulators said Wednesday.
• But five medical experts told Insider they aren't convinced the shot actually causes clotting.
• Experts worry that public skepticism may unnecessarily derail AstraZeneca's global vaccine rollout.

Read more about the risks here>>

Humana just poached a veteran Goldman Sachs banker to lead M&A and corporate development

• Former Goldman banker Logan Nicholson has left to lead Humana's corporate development and M&A team.
• Nicholson spent 18 years at Goldman, most recently as head of US leveraged finance capital markets.
• Chris Bonner, JPMorgan's co-head of capital markets, will leave the bank to join Goldman.

Learn more about the move here>>

The most common side effects to expect after your coronavirus vaccine, based on which shot you get

• All three US-authorized coronavirus vaccines can have similar side effects, though they vary slightly.
• Injection-site pain is the most common side effect of all three shots.
• More than 60% of participants in Moderna's and Pfizer's trials also reported fatigue.

See the full chart here>>

More stories we're reading:

• A 'double mutant' coronavirus variant found in India was spotted in California - but there's no evidence it's 'doubly scary' (Insider)
• The lasting impact the pandemic will have on first responders (ProPublica)
• Over a third of COVID-19 survivors experience a neurological condition or mental illness in the 6 months after infection, a large-scale study finds (Insider)
• European regulators are looking into the ethical standards for Russia's Sputnik vaccine trials (Financial Times)
• How to spot the symptoms of a blood clot (Insider)

- Lydia