British vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca defended its COVID-19 vaccines from claims that it caused blood clot incidents to those who were given the jabs.
AstraZeneca said on Friday that there was no evidence of an increased risk” of blood clots. The company added that European and UK medicines regulators have each said the link between the vaccine and blood clots has not been confirmed.
Denmark, Norway and Iceland decided to suspend the roll out of AstraZeneca vaccines following the blood clot reports.
Bulgaria has become the latest country to suspend use of the vaccine on Friday pending investigations into safety.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also decided to suspend his scheduled public vaccination of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
On Friday, the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration both issued a statement saying that AstraZeneca vaccines will still be used amid reports that some European countries suspended its use due to blood clots in some inoculated individuals.
Both agencies supported the statement of the European Medicine Authority (EMA) that “the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks.”
The DOH and FDA are now conducting its own investigating the blood clot incidents and their link to AstraZeneca vaccines.
“At present, the DOH and FDA emphasize that there is no indication for the Philippines to stop the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines,” the joint statement read. (TDT)
