The Government’s decision to suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out will place thousands of “vulnerable people at risk”, one of the country’s leading biochemists has warned.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) decided to halt vaccinating 30,000 people who were due to receive the jab this week - resulting in just 50,000 being inoculated with either the Pfizer/Biontech or Moderna vaccines.
Trinity Biochemist Professor Luke O’Neill said the weekend decision was “very disturbing”.
The Advisory Committee said the decision was “precautionary” following reports that four people in Norway suffered blood clots after receiving the vaccine.
AstraZeneca has said there is "no evidence” the cases are linked to the vaccine – and noted that the number of reported blood clots among vaccinated people is actually lower than would be expected among the general population.
Speaking on Newstalk radio on The Pat Kenny Show, Professor O’Neill said he was “disappointed” with the move to suspend this week’s rollout.
“They are not trusting the science," he said.
"Seventeen million people have had this vaccine and there is no evidence of any kind that it is causing blood clots.
“And even worse, we know the virus itself causes blood clots - there is a high risk of that - so they are putting 30,000 people at risk now who aren’t getting vaccinated this week, so I think it is very disturbing to be honest.”
He added the science “absolutely” vindicates the continued use of the jab.
