UK says AstraZeneca was shot safely even after 7 deaths in the blood clot

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The UK has confirmed that seven people died of rare blood clots after receiving them AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine and Australia are also investigating a case of clotting, which raises questions about the safety of the widely used coronavirus shot.

UK medicine and Health care Products Regulatory Agency said on Saturday that out of thirty cases of blood clots and low blood platelets identified in people in the UK who received the shot by March 24, seven died. More than 18 million doses have been administered in the country and the regulator maintains that the shot is safe.

“The benefits of Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca in preventing Covid-19 infection and its complications still outweigh any risks, and the public must continue to receive their vaccine when invited to do so,” said June Raine, CEO of MHRA, Saturday an email statement.

Australia said on Saturday it was cooperation with regulators in the UK and the European Union after a case of blood clotting was identified on April 2 in someone who received the AstraZeneca shot.

The latest revelation is likely to contribute to growing concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the backbone of Britain’s successful vaccination campaign. Many countries around the world rely on the AstraZeneca to power their vaccination programs, and now some are reconsidering them, despite the rising levels of Covid cases.

The Netherlands joined on Friday Germany has suspended the use of the vaccine in people under 60 years of age. Norway and Denmark have extended the suspension over the use of the shot, which was also the subject of a dispute over supplies between the EU, the UK and others.

South Africa Friday closed the sale of 1 million of the shots to other countries after finding that it had little effect on a variant identified in the country last year.

The UK continues its vaccination program, which has delivered a first shot to more than 60% of all adults. Premier Boris Johnson has promised to give all adults a first shot by the end of July, with the Astra vaccination critical to achieving the goal.

Blood clots, anaphylaxis and other vaccines: QuickTake

With the new reports on the solidification condition, the number of incidents after the AstraZeneca shot in the UK is around 1 in 600,000. There were no reports of the same reactions to the vaccine Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, which is also used in Britain.

Earlier this week, the EU drug regulator said a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare type of blood clot was possible, identifying at least 62 cases of the condition. The European Medicines Agency has said that its safety committee will probably issue an updated recommendation next week.

Although more research is needed to investigate possible links, ‘the most important thing to remember is how rare these brain clots are and how strong the proven benefit of vaccination against Covid is’, said David Werring, professor of clinical neurology at University College in London, said. of neurology.