Clot mystery thickens: Opinion divided over AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out

Thailand, Bulgaria delay jab launch; WHO, France, Germany support shot

Problems with AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine have deepened, with at least 10 countries suspending use of the shot over safety concerns that the World Health Organization, Canada, Germany, and France — along with many other nations —say are unfounded. The company, too, clarified that there was no evidence “of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis.”

Austria was the first to raise concerns last weekend when it stopped using some supplies of AstraZeneca’s vaccine as a precaution following reports of a death and illness among recipients.

In rapid succession, Denmark, Italy and Norway echoed the move, pointing to instances of blood clotting potentially linked to a batch of the product that health authorities want to investigate more closely. Thailand has followed suit.

Bulgaria on Friday also temporarily halted Covid-19 inoculations using the AstraZeneca vaccine after a woman died hours after receiving a shot, and said it wanted the European Medicine Agency (EMA) to dispel all doubts about the vaccine’s safety.

"Everything we know so far suggests that the benefits of the vaccine, even after every individual case reported, are greater than the risks, and that continues to be the case,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news briefing. Meanwhie, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Friday the AstraZeneca vaccine had shown great efficacy.

According to AFP, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters: “AstraZeneca is an excellent vaccine, as are the other vaccines that are being used.”

AstraZeneca cuts EU vaccine supply

AstraZeneca is again scaling back vaccine delivery to the EU. The firm expects to have delivered 30 million doses by the end of March - 10 million less than it pledged last month. Meanwhile, the US denied it has imposed any kind of restrictions on export of vaccines.            

J&J to make up to 3 bn vaccines in ‘22

Johnson & Johnson’s chief scientist said the company expects to produce up to 3 billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine next year, after the European Union approved the one-shot immunisation on Thursday.