AstraZeneca insists its vaccine is safe after blood clot fears

Several countries suspended its use despite the WHO saying there was no reason for alarm

A nurse vaccinates a midwifery student with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in France. AFP

AstraZeneca insisted its coronavirus vaccine was safe after some countries suspended its use in response to concerns about a potential link to blood clots.

The British pharmaceutical company responded after a string of countries stopped using its shot in their vaccine programmes.

Countries including Norway and Denmark halted its use after one person in Denmark who was given the AstraZeneca shot suffered a blood clot and died.

The concerns stemmed from a particular batch of AstraZeneca vaccines that went to 17 European Union countries.

"An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country" from the jab, a company representative said.

"In fact, the observed number of these types of events are significantly lower in those vaccinated than would be expected among the general population."

The AstraZeneca jab, developed with Oxford University, forms the mainstay of Britain's vaccination programme, and of many developing economies. It is relatively cheap and easier to store than other shots.

But it has been dogged by controversy in Europe, with some governments initially refusing to certify its use for people aged over 65 despite scientific advice finding no reason for limits.

This week Denmark, Norway and Iceland were among several countries which paused its use as a precaution after isolated reports of recipients developing blood clots.

Italy and Austria have also banned the use of shots from separate batches, while Bulgaria and Thailand said they would delay its distribution.

However, the World Health Organisation earlier Friday said there was no reason to stop using the Covid-19 vaccine, stressing there was no causal link between the shot and any clotting.

A range of health authorities have also insisted it is safe, including the European Medicines Agency.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman said on Thursday: "We've been clear that it's both safe and effective ... and when people are asked to come forward and take it, they should do so in confidence."

Britain began the world's first mass vaccination drive against the coronavirus in December, underpinned largely by the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and another from Pfizer-BioNTech.

The European Union's drugs regulator is investigating whether any of the three Covid-19 vaccines approved in the bloc might be linked to a blood clotting deficiency that can cause internal bleeding.

The European Medicines Agency said on Friday that several cases of immune thrombocytopenia, a lack of platelets in the blood that can lead to bleeding and bruising, had been reported under its vaccine safety monitoring process.

"It is not yet clear whether there is a causal association between vaccination and the reports of immune thrombocytopenia," EMA said.

The agency said it would assess reports of the condition in people who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccines.

The French drug regulator ANSM said on Friday it agreed with the European Medicines Agency's advice that AstraZeneca's coronavirus shot should continue to be used in vaccination campaigns.

"The benefit/risk ratio of the vaccine remains positive," the ANSM said on its website.