Coronavirus Vaccines
WHO insists AstraZeneca vaccine safe as jab faces new setbacks
Several EU states halt its use after isolated reports of recipients developing blood clots
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United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca has insisted that its vaccine is safe, adding that there is "no evidence" of higher blood clot risks.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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GENEVA • The World Health Organisation (WHO) said there is no reason to stop using AstraZeneca's Covid-19 jab after several countries suspended their roll-outs over blood clot fears, while the hard-hit United States exceeded 100 million doses of vaccine administered to its people.
The WHO, which said its vaccines advisory committee was examining the safety data coming in, emphasised on Friday that no causal link has been established between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots.
"Yes, we should continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine," WHO spokesman Margaret Harris added, stressing that any concerns over safety must be investigated.
United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca has insisted that its jab is safe, adding that there is "no evidence" of higher blood clot risks.
AstraZeneca jab is adding to the European Union's problems in distributing vaccines.
Denmark, Norway and Iceland have paused use of the drugmaker's shot as a precaution after isolated reports of recipients developing blood clots. Italy and Austria have banned the use of jabs from separate batches of AstraZeneca.
Last week, Thailand and Bulgaria said they would delay the roll-outs.
In Spain, at least five regions said they had suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine from the suspect batch banned by Austria as a precautionary measure. But several other countries, including Australia, said they would continue their roll-outs as they had found no reason to alter course.
Canada also said there was no evidence that the jab causes adverse reactions.
In a fresh hit, the EU's drug regulator said severe allergies should be added to the possible side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine after some likely links were found in Britain.
Meanwhile, India has said it will carry out a deeper review of post-vaccination side effects from the AstraZeneca shot, although no cases of blood clots have been reported so far, an official told Agence France-Presse yesterday.
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28 million
Number of vaccine doses administered across India so far, most of them AstraZeneca's.
59-60
Number of deaths, which Dr N. K. Arora, a member of India's national task force on Covid-19, says were "coincidental".
"We are looking at all the adverse events, particularly serious adverse events like deaths and hospitalisation. We will come back if we find anything of concern," said Dr N. K. Arora, a member of India's national task force on Covid-19.
India has given at least 28 million shots in its vast vaccination programme, most of them from AstraZeneca. The vaccine is produced at the Serum Institute of India.
New Delhi has also gifted and allowed exports of millions of these jabs to around 70 countries over the past few weeks as a part of its vaccine diplomacy.
Dr Arora said there was "no immediate issue of concern as the number of adverse events (in India) is very, very low. We are taking another look at (adverse events that were reported) to see if there was any issue of blood clotting".
"As of (Friday), there were 59 or 60 deaths, and they were all coincidental," the doctor said, adding that hospitalisation cases were being re-examined.
"In fact, there is a real effort from our side that once complete investigation is done, to put its results in public domain, on the ministry of health website," Dr Arora added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
