The European Union will resume the roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after Europe’s Medicine Regulator concluded it was safe and effective. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the jab after 13 EU states suspended the use of the vaccine following reports of a small number of cases of blood clots among vaccine recipients in the region.
The decisions to suspend the use of the vaccine sparked concerns over the pace of the region’s vaccination drive, which had already been affected by supply shortages. They had opted to pause their use of the drug as a “precautionary measure”.
According to the EMA’s report, the jab was not associated with a higher risk of clots.
“The committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion, this is a safe and effective vaccine. Its benefits in protecting people from COVID-19 with associated death and hospitalization outweigh the possible risks. The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events or blood clots,” said Emer Cooke, the Director of EMA.
Welcoming the review’s endorsement of the vaccine as safe and effective, Boris Johnson, UK’s Prime Minister will receive his first dose of the vaccine. He also urged people to get the vaccine.
Out of 17 million people vaccinated in the EU, there were only 37 reports of blood clots. Several European countries are to resume the AstraZeneca jab today.
Yeshi Dorji
