Ireland, Netherlands become latest countries to suspend AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears

LONDON — Ireland and the Netherlands have joined the rising listing of countries which have suspended using the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford over blood clot considerations.

The Dutch authorities stated on Sunday that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine wouldn’t be used till not less than March 29, whereas Ireland stated earlier within the day that it had briefly suspended the shot as a precautionary step.

The World Health Organization has sought to downplay ongoing security considerations, saying final week that there isn’t a hyperlink between the shot and an elevated threat of creating blood clots. The United Nations well being company has urged countries to proceed utilizing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Despite this, quite a lot of European countries have already paused using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. It has added to the woes of the area’s ailing vaccination marketing campaign at a time when Germany’s public well being company has warned {that a} third wave of coronavirus infections has already begun.

Thailand has additionally halted its deliberate deployment of the vaccine.

The transfer to pause its use by Dutch and Irish officers got here shortly after Norway’s medicines company stated it had been notified of three well being staff being handled in hospital for bleeding, blood clots and a low rely of blood platelets after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Norway has put its Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine program on maintain.

Geir Bukholm, director of the Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, stated Norway’s medicines company would “follow up on these suspected side effects and take the necessary measures in this serious situation.”

Europe’s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, has additionally stated there isn’t a indication that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is inflicting blood clots, including that it believes the vaccine’s advantages “continue to outweigh its risks.”

The EMA acknowledged some European countries had paused using the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot however stated inoculations might proceed to be administered whereas an investigation of blood clot circumstances is ongoing.

“A careful review of all available safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the European Union (EU) and UK with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia, in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country,” AstraZeneca stated in an announcement on Sunday.

The most typical unwanted effects of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which doesn’t comprise the virus and can’t trigger Covid, are usually gentle or average and enhance inside a couple of days of vaccination.

The pharmaceutical big stated that throughout the EU and U.Okay. there had been 15 occasions of deep vein thrombosis and 22 occasions of pulmonary embolism reported amongst these vaccinated.

“This is much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed COVID-19 vaccines,” AstraZeneca stated.

“Covid definitely causes coagulation disorders and each of the vaccines prevents Covid disease, including more severe cases,” stated Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology on the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

“Therefore, it is extremely likely that the benefit of the vaccine notably outweighs any risk for coagulation disorders and the vaccine prevents other consequences of Covid including deaths from other causes.”

Evans stated it was “entirely reasonable” to conduct research into the vaccines and coagulation issues, however added: “It seems a step too far in taking precautions that would stop people getting vaccines that would prevent disease.”

Many high-income countries — such because the U.Okay., France, Australia and Canada — have chosen to proceed with their respective rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

“If clear evidence of serious or life-threatening side-effects emerges that will have important consequences,” Adam Finn, professor of pediatrics on the University of Bristol, stated in an announcement.

“However so far it hasn’t and it’s highly undesirable to disrupt a complex and urgent programme every time people develop illnesses after receiving vaccine that may be coincidental and not causally related. Making the right call in situations like this is not easy but having a steady hand on the tiller is probably what is needed most,” Finn stated.