FINLAND has suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine to probe two blood clots – a day after the EU declared it safe. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said an investigation would take at least one week. It comes after Finland said it wouldn’t ban the use of the jab as around 20 […]
FINLAND has suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine to probe two blood clots – a day after the EU declared it safe.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said an investigation would take at least one week.
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It comes after Finland said it wouldn’t ban the use of the jab as around 20 other European countries unnecessarily halted their rollout over safety fears.
Yesterday the EU made a major U-turn on the suspension of the Oxford jab with its regulator saying it’s “safe and effective”.
Emer Cooke, the EMA’s executive director, said she would take the Covid vaccine “tomorrow” if offered – after debating on its safety for days.
And bizarrely, after declaring it not safe for over 65s weeks ago, France has today said only people 55 or older should have the AZ jab.
This is to minimise the risk of younger people developing blood clots following their jab, after several deaths with no direct link to the vaccine.
Health officials said the advice was based on the fact that blood clots, which prompted the vaccine’s suspension in France and other European countries, had been seen only in recipients aged under 55.
Yesterday the EMA’s executive director said: “Its benefits in protecting people from Covid-19, with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation, outweigh the possible risks.
“The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events, or blood clots.”
She said the EMA recommends the jab for use – but a link between a small number of “blood clotting disorders” and the vaccine can’t be entirely ruled out, so it must be added to warning labels.
Although some EU countries have reversed the jab suspension, Sweden has vowed to keep its ban in place until next week.
Medical bosses still don’t know why the blood clots occurred in these cases, but said thousands develop for a range of reasons every month in the EU.
The patients in this case may have even developed clots due to Covid itself, they think.
In a press conference last night the PM reiterated the jab is safe, adding “people should continue to get their vaccine when asked to do so”.
He said: “The Oxford jab is safe and the Pfizer jab is safe, the thing that isn’t safe is getting Covid.”
The PM added: “We have now vaccinated over 25million people across our entire United Kingdom, more than the entire population of many countries.
“Our progress along the road to freedom continues unchecked – we remain on track to reclaim the things we love, to see our families and friends again, to return to our local pubs, our gyms and sports facilities and of course our shops.”
The EU has blamed its shambolic vaccine programme’s problems on AZ not producing enough of the jabs.
Yet, despite countries questioning whether it is safe, Brussels is threatening to hoard millions more doses.
The move would delay Britain’s jabs roll-out, as many of our supplies come from factories on the continent.
