Several countries have already changed the rules for administering Covid-19 vaccine to Astrazeneca. The new guide was introduced after EU regulators on Wednesday spoke of a link to a very rare and possible fatal thrombosis.
The UK, where the vaccine was jointly developed by the British-Swedish company Astrazeneka and Oxford University, says it will offer other alternatives to adults under 30. Oxford University has suspended an ongoing study on the Astrazeneca vaccine, which involved children and adults.
Reuters reports that Spain and the Philippines will only use the vaccine on people over the age of 60. The “Washington Post” writes that a similar regulation was introduced by Italy.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Wednesday that thrombosis should be listed as an abbreviation for Astrazeneca vaccine Covid-19 as a very rare side effect. However, the EU regulator still emphasizes the fact that the overall benefits of the vaccine far outweigh any risks.
More than 30 million doses of Astrazeneca have been administered throughout Europe. A rare form of thrombosis has developed in up to 50 people and is associated with 14 deaths.
The Astrazeneca vaccine has played a crucial role in the dramatic decline in infection, hospitalization and mortality in the UK. It remains critical to both Europe’s immunization strategy and its global campaign to help poor countries. The Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine is much cheaper and easier to administer than the Western-approved competitors of Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna.
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