WHO assessing reports on risks related to AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid

A spokesperson for the WHO told Sputnik that its Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety was carefully assessing the reports on risks related to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) told Sputnik that its Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) was carefully assessing the reports on risks related to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19.

A number of European states have suspended vaccination with the AstraZeneca drug as a precaution after reports on severe side-effects, including blood clots, that were allegedly triggered by the vaccine, Sputnik reported.

The European Medicines Agency said there was currently no indication that the reported negative effects had been caused by the vaccination.

"The GACVS is carefully assessing the current reports on the AstraZeneca vaccine. As soon as WHO has gained a full understanding of these events, the findings and any changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public," the spokesperson said on late Thursday as quoted by Sputnik.

The WHO representative stressed that the global health body was aware of some EU countries' decisions to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"The information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population. The Committee further noted that the vaccine can continue to be administered while the investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing," the spokesperson added.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To date, more than 118.34 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 2.62 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.