AstraZeneca Shots Paused In European Countries; WHO Says It's Safe

Denmark and Norway halted the AstraZeneca shot last week while Iceland and Bulgaria also suspended the jab along with Ireland and the Netherlands.

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After several countries in Europe including Germany, France, Italy, and others suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine to investigate possible side-effects, the World Health Organization’s director-general has addressed the concerns saying that systems meant to protect public health were working.

 “This does not necessarily mean these events are linked to Covid-19 vaccination, but it’s routine practice to investigate them, and it shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual media briefing, as per Reuters.

What does WHO say?

A WHO advisory committee will discuss the vaccination on Tuesday after several countries in Europe reported serious conditions in people who had received the shot.

Denmark and Norway halted the AstraZeneca shot last week after the countries reported isolated cases of blood clots, bleeding, or a low platelet count. In fact, Iceland and Bulgaria also stopped the jab along with Ireland and the Netherlands who announced suspensions on Sunday.

The top WHO scientist also stressed the fact so far there had been no documented deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines.

 “We do not want people to panic,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told the briefing, adding that no association had so far been found between the “thromboembolic events” reported in some countries and COVID-19 shots.

There are many countries still continuing with the shots even as some countries suspended it as the WHO and other bodies say the benefits continue to outweigh any risks.

For instance, in the United Kingdom, where the AstraZeneca vaccine was developed in partnership with Oxford University, stated that it has no concerns while the drugmaker has said a review of safety data has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. Meanwhile, Canada is going to update its guidelines on AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine that will pave way to administer vaccine to people aged 65 years and older, CBC News reported quoting documents