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The UK confirmed that seven people had died of rare blood clots upon receipt The Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc and Australia are also investigating a case of clotting, raising questions about the safety of the widely used coronavirus injection.
Medicines and healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said Saturday that of the 30 cases of clotting and low platelets diagnosed in people in the UK who received the injection through March 24, seven had died. More than 18 million doses have been administered in the country and the regulator insists the shot is safe.
“The benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca in preventing Covid-19 infection and its complications still outweigh the risks and the public should continue to receive their vaccine if invited to do so,” said June Raine , the director of MHRA, released a statement by email Saturday.
Australia said it was so on Saturday to work with regulators in the UK and the European Union after identifying a case of blood clotting on April 2 in someone who had received the AstraZeneca injection.
The latest disclosure is likely to add to growing concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the backbone of the successful UK vaccination campaign. Many countries around the world relied on the AstraZeneca to direct their immunization programs and now some countries are reconsidering despite the increasing number of Covid cases.
The Netherlands joined on Friday Germany suspended the use of the vaccine in people under the age of 60. Norway and Denmark extended the suspension of the use of the shot, which was also the subject of a supply battle between the EU, the UK and others.
South Africa Friday completed the sale of 1 million of the shots to other countries after discovering they had little impact on a variant first identified in the country last year.
Vials of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine.
Photographer: Hollie Adams / Bloomberg
The UK continues to make progress with its vaccine program, which has given a first chance to more than 60% of all adults. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to provide a first chance to all adults by the end of July, with the Astra vaccination key to achieving that goal.
Blood clots, anaphylaxis and other vaccine fears: QuickTake
With the new coagulation status reports, the number of post-AstraZeneca injections incidents in the UK is approximately 1 in 600,000. There were no reports of the same reactions to the vaccine Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, which is also used in Great Britain.
Earlier this week, the EU drug regulator said a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare type of blood clot has been identified, identifying at least 62 cases of the condition. The European Medicines Agency said its safety committee will likely issue an updated recommendation next week.
While more research is needed to investigate possible links, “the important thing to remember is how rare these brain clots are and how powerful the proven benefit of vaccination is against Covid,” said David Werring, professor of clinical neurology at University College London’s Institute. . of Neurology.