World Health Organisation (WHO) Europe's Director Hans Kluge on Thursday said the benefits of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine outweigh any risk. And, he also added that its use should continue to save lives.
Several countries from Denmark to France to Venezuela to Indonesia said they would not use the vaccine after several reports emerged of blood clots and brain haemorrhages in people who had received the vaccine.
Kluge noted that Europe's medicines regulators are investigating a small number of cases of blood clots in the region that have prompted around a dozen EU governments to suspend us of the AstraZeneca shot.
"As of now, we do not know whether some or all of the conditions have been caused by the vaccine or by other coincidental factors," he said, adding: "At this point in time, however, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh its risks – and its use should continue, to save lives."
On Wednesday, WHO experts recommended countries continue to use the AstraZeneca vaccine, but said they were looking into the jab's safety after a slew of countries suspended its use over health fears, as per an AFP report.
The WHO, Europe's medicines regulator and AstraZeneca itself have repeatedly said the vaccine was safe after several countries reported feared links with blood clots or brain hemorrhage.
(With inputs from agencies)
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