REUTERS. The World Health Organization (WHO) is systematically reviewing the safety signals, and is carefully assessing the current reports on AstraZeneca vaccine, said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press briefing on Friday.
A number of countries like Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, Thailand as well as some regions in Spain have suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine after reports of blood clots in recipients.
Italy and Austria have halted using of certain batches as a precaution.
"WHO is aware that some countries have suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccines based on reports of blood clots in some people who received doses of the vaccine from two batches. This measure was taken as a precaution while a full investigation is finalized. It's important to note that the European Medicines Agency has said there is no indication of a link between the vaccine and blood clots, and that the vaccine can continue to be used while its investigation is ongoing," said Tedros.
The European Commission said on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine is still safe to use, adding that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had adopted a preliminary review on the case in Austria "where they said there is no specific indication that the vaccination led to these conditions."
In response to the blood clots reports, AstraZeneca on Friday said there was "no evidence of an increased risk" of blood clots, and will support the investigation.
