Britain’s vaccine rollout is to undergo a “course correction” that will see people below the age of 30 being offered alternatives to the AstraZeneca vaccine, following advice from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA said there is a possible link between this vaccine and “extremely rare and unlikely to occur” blood clots. Government advisors have stopped short of restricting the use of the AZ jab in younger people altogether, despite considering doing so.
Up to March 31st, 79 people in the UK developed blood clots following their first AstraZeneca jab. Nineteen of these people have died. The Chief Executive of the MHRA said: “The risk [of getting blood clots after receiving the AZ vaccine] is four people in a million.” Sky News has the story.
Britons aged 18-29 will be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine following 79 people developing blood clots after the jab, Government advisors have decided.
The MHRA concluded there is a possible link between the AZ vaccine and “extremely rare and unlikely to occur” blood clots with lowered platelets.
Younger people are much less likely to die from Covid so the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has decided it is safer to advise that age group are offered a different jab, where possible. …
The advice is being given after a total of 79 people in the UK have had blood clots following their first AstraZeneca jab up to March 31st, Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA said. More than 20 million people have been given the AZ vaccine.
Of those 70 people, 19 have died – three under the age of 30.
A total of 51 women and 28 men aged 18 to 79 were affected but Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, Chair of the Commission on Human Medicines, said there is no evidence women have a predilection to develop blood clots after having the AZ jab.
“The risk is four people in a million,” Dr Raine added.
The UK is currently also rolling out the Pfizer Covid vaccine and, most recently, the Moderna vaccine, but people below the age of 30 will only be given these alternatives where possible.
JCVI chairman Professor Wei Shen Lim said: “We are advising a preference of one vaccine over another vaccine for a particular age group out of utmost caution rather than any serious safety concerns.”
He added that people who are just over 29 years-old should make their decision, but getting the vaccine is much safer than not getting it.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: A review by the European Medicines Agency has also concluded that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects” of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Stop Press 2: In an article for the Spectator, Ross Clark asks whether the writing is on the wall for the AZ jab.
The Government has invested a huge amount of money and faith in the AstraZeneca vaccine, and has rightly been praised for its rapid rollout, which was based on the best evidence at the time. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been wrongfully attacked by President Macron among others, who declared it to be “quasi-ineffective” in the over-65s – without any evidence. It will take political courage to admit that the AstraZeneca vaccine is second-best, and should perhaps be phased out as other vaccines become available in substantial quantities. But it is beginning to look as if that might be the most likely outcome.
Very much worth reading in full.
