British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for a photo with a vial of the AstraZeneca / Oxford University Covid-19 candidate vaccine.
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The British government and health experts in the country rushed to defend the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. following concerns about a possible connection with blood clots.
On Wednesday, the UK’s health and vaccine regulators led a change on who should receive the shot. They now recommend that anyone under the age of 30 should receive an alternative vaccine amid concerns that it could lead to a severe blood clot in rare circumstances.
Following a safety review of the AstraZeneca vaccine, caused by concerns about reports of rare blood clotting disorders in a small number of vaccines, British and European drug regulators (the MHRA and the EMA respectively) have emphasized the benefits of the jab still outweighs the risks.
Amid concerns that the vaccine’s reputation could be further damaged, experts rushed to defend it – and one Twitter user noted that officials appeared to be in ‘damage reduction’ mode.
The British health secretary emphasized on Thursday that the risk of a blood clot after the vaccination of AstraZeneca Covid is about the same as during a long-haul flight. He said the safety measures around the vaccine were robust and that regulators ‘could spot this extremely rare event’.
On the chance of developing a blood clot, Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast: “The safety system we have against this vaccine is so sensitive that it can record events of four out of a million. I’m told it’s about the same risk to take a long-haul flight.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who himself received a first shot of the vaccine, said that ‘the best thing people should do is look at what the MHRA is saying, our independent regulator – that’s why we have it, that’s why they independently.
“Their advice to people is to keep going out there, get a jab, get a second jab,” he added Thursday.
This comes amid growing concerns that Wednesday’s announcement could lead to vaccination in Britain, where the vaccination program has gone well so far, with more than 31.7 million adults receiving the first vaccine so far. The UK worked through priority groups for a vaccine, with the under-50s (without underlying health conditions) in line for a shot.
England’s deputy chief executive Jonathan Van-Tam also tried on Wednesday to allay concerns, saying reports of blood clots were “disappearing rare”. He also noted that ‘changes in preferences for vaccines normally work and that this is a course correction.’
“If you are sailing a massive liner across the Atlantic, it is not really reasonable that you have to make at least one course correction during the trip,” he said at a press conference, adding that the vaccines are being held. under “very careful review.”
Vaccine relapse ‘clearly a concern’
Andrew Freedman, a reader of Infectious Diseases at Cardiff University School of Medicine, was one of the experts who said the move by the UK to limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was sensible.
“It does sound like a sensible decision based on the evidence we have so far about a likely causal link between the AZ vaccine and these very rare thrombotic side effects that have been noticed,” he told CNBC on Thursday. However, he noted that vaccine hesitation was now “clearly a concern.”
“It’s going to be important to continue to emphasize the message that vaccination saves lives and has already saved thousands of lives in the UK,” he added.
Meanwhile, Andrew Pollard, professor of pediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, who developed the shot with AstraZeneca, said in a statement on Wednesday that ‘safety was our priority during vaccine development … and we are reassured to see safety monitoring continue under close scrutiny by regulators and public health authorities as the vaccine is rolled out around the world. ‘
EU uncertainty
Countries on the European continent are more likely to convince their citizens that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, given the numerous doubts and disputes over the shot and supplies so far.
After a second investigation into the shot, the European Medicines Agency on Wednesday also ruled that the vaccine was safe, but said it had found a ‘possible link’ between the jab and very rare cases of blood clots. However, the EMA did not place any age restrictions on recipients.
The agency’s executive director, Emer Cooke, reassured the public, pointing out that researchers are still trying to find out what causes a small number of rare but serious blood clots, including cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).
The issue, “clearly shows one of the challenges that large-scale vaccination campaigns present when millions of people receive these vaccinations can occur very rare incidents that were not identified during the clinical trials,” she said.
EU leaders met on Wednesday night but could not agree on a coordinated strategy regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine.
To date, four European countries have completely stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine, including Denmark and the Netherlands, while a number of others, including Germany, France and Spain, have imposed age restrictions on the shot.
Most cases of blood clots identified by the regulators occurred within two weeks after the shot in women under 60 years of age. Officials are still investigating specific risk factors that could have contributed to the phenomenon.
Unusual blood clots with low platelets will be added to the product information of the vaccine as a ‘very rare’ side effect, the EMA added.