Occasional reports of health problems developing in people who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine do not justify a suspension of the vaccine's use, according to global public health officials.
“Vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes,” the World Health Organization said Wednesday. “At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue.”
TOP REGULATOR 'FIRMLY CONVINCED' ASTRAZENECA VACCINE IS SAFE AS MUCH OF EUROPE SUSPENDS ITS USE
More than a dozen European nations suspended their use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports that several individuals who received the jab subsequently developed blood clots. Germany’s decision to pause the rollout raised political pressure on other governments to do so, but public health officials see it as an overreaction to scattered reports that have no clear link to the vaccine.
“Thromboembolic events are known to occur frequently,” the WHO said, using the medical term for blood clots. “Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally.”
Italian government officials in Europe have acknowledged that the decision to follow Germany’s lead was not motivated by their review of the health risks. “It was a political choice,” Italy’s Medicines Agency director, Nicola Magrini, told local press.
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WHO officials implied that governments that weigh the risks differently than German officials should place more confidence in their own analysis.
“Some countries in the European Union have temporarily suspended use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a precautionary measure based on reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in persons who had received the vaccine,” the bulletin said. "Other countries in the EU — having considered the same information — have decided to continue using the vaccine in their immunization programs.”
