A number of countries have moved to halt the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine amid fears that it may cause blood clots.
Italy, Germany, France and Ireland are among the major nations to temporarily suspend the use of the jab in recent days.
The decision came after reports emerged of four serious blood clotting events in adults after they received the vaccine in Norway.
All of the countries who have moved to temporarily ban the vaccine say they have done so as a ‘precautionary measure’ as investigations continue into the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday: “The decision has been made to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution, hoping that we can resume its use quickly if the judgement of the EMA (European Medicines Agency) allows it.”
Other countries that have moved to halt the rollout of the vaccine include:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Austria
- Norway
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Slovenia
- Cyprus
Is the vaccine still in use in Scotland?
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine remains in use in Scotland despite the fears over blood clots.
Data released by Public Health Scotland shows that more than one million Scots have so far been given their first dose of the jab.
What does AstraZeneca say about the ban?
The pharmaceutical company behind the jab, AstraZeneca, said that 17 million people have received the vaccine across the EU and the UK.
It found that there were 37 blood clotting events in people after receiving the vaccine.
AstraZeneca chiefs said that the number of blood clots was ‘much lower’ than what would be expected in a general population of that size.
Ann Taylor, Chief Medical Officer at the firm, said: “Around 17 million people in the EU and UK have now received our vaccine, and the number of cases of blood clots reported in this group is lower than the hundreds of cases that would be expected among the general population.
“The nature of the pandemic has led to increased attention in individual cases and we are going beyond the standard practices for safety monitoring of licensed medicines in reporting vaccine events, to ensure public safety.”
What are Scottish health officials and politicians saying about the vaccine?
The vaccine has been given backing by Scottish public health chiefs - and even Nicola Sturgeon.
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith tweeted yesterday: “I’ve not had my Covid-19 vaccine yet and don’t expect to be called for a few weeks yet.
“But if I was eligible for the AZ vaccine tomorrow I’d take it without a moment’s hesitation.
“This vaccine is saving many lives every day and is both extensively researched and monitored for safety.”
The First Minister also moved to reassure Scots about the vaccine during the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus press briefing yesterday.
Sturgeon said: “In the UK, the decision to suspend the use of any vaccine is a matter of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
“The MHRA has confirmed to use that there is no current evidence of an increase in blood clots being caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“That is the issue that has paused the vaccine in some other countries.
“As you would expect, though, the MHRA is continuing to monitor this carefully, and remains in regular contact with other regulators.”
What does the World Health Organization say about the AstraZeneca jab?
World health officials have urged countries to continue their vaccination programme and say there is not yet any evidence to suggest that there is a link between the vaccine and blood clotting events.
A spokesperson for WHO told EuroNews yesterday: “As of today, there is no evidence that the incident are caused by the vaccine and it is important that vaccination campaigns continue so that we can save lives and stem severe disease from the virus.
“In extensive vaccination campaigns, it is normal for countries to signal potential adverse events. This does not mean that the events are linked to vaccination, but it is good practice to investigate them.”
