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The UK confirmed that seven people died of rare blood clots after receiving The Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc and Australia are also investigating a case of coagulation, raising questions about the safety of the widely used vaccine against coronavirus.
Medicines and Health care The Product Regulatory Agency said on Saturday that of the 30 cases of blood clotting and platelets identified in people in the UK who received the injection by March 24, seven died. More than 18 million doses have been administered in the country and the regulator insists that the injection is safe.
“The benefits of Vacid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in preventing Covid-19 infection and its complications continue to outweigh any risks and the public should continue to receive their vaccine when asked to do so,” said June Raine, executive director of the MHRA on Saturday in an emailed statement.
Australia said on Saturday it was cooperating with regulators in the UK and the European Union after identifying a case of blood clotting on April 2 in someone who had received the AstraZeneca injection.
The latest revelation is likely to heighten growing concern over the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the backbone of the UK’s successful inoculation campaign. Many countries around the world were relying on AstraZeneca to conduct their immunization programs and now some are reconsidering, despite the increasing levels of Covid cases.
The Netherlands joined Friday Germany suspends the use of the vaccine in children under 60 years of age. Norway and Denmark have extended suspensions on the use of the vaccine, which has also been the subject of a supply dispute between the EU, the United Kingdom and other countries.
South Africa Friday concluded the sale of 1 million shots to other countries after discovering that they had little impact on a variant first identified in the country last year.
Vials of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine.
Photographer: Hollie Adams / Bloomberg
The UK continues to move forward with its vaccine program, which has given the first injection to more than 60% of all adults. Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to offer all adults a first chance by the end of July, with the Astra vaccination essential to achieving that goal.
Blood clots, anaphylaxis and other vaccine fears: QuickTake
With the new reports on the clotting condition, the incident rate after shooting with AstraZeneca in the UK is about 1 in 600,000. There were no reports of the same reactions to the vaccine Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, which is also being used in Great Britain.
Earlier this week, the EU drug regulator said that a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare type of blood clot is possible, identifying at least 62 cases of the disease. The European Medicines Agency said its safety committee is likely to issue an updated recommendation next week.
While more research is needed to examine the possible links, “the main thing to remember is how rare these brain clots are and how powerful the proven benefits of vaccination against Covid are,” said David Werring, professor of clinical neurology at the University Institute College London of Neurology.