EU regulator: No evidence to support restriction of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine

[Mitz]

EU regulator: No evidence to support restriction of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

In the ongoing review of the cases, experts have said they haven’t been able to identify any specific risk factors for these rare clotting events.

The European Medicines Agency said Wednesday that there’s “no evidence that would support restricting the use of [the Oxford/AstraZeneca] vaccine in any population” in the wake of Germany and France limiting the jab to older populations after concerns about blood clotting incidents.

The EMA’s executive director, Emer Cooke, said that in the ongoing review of the cases, experts have advised the regulator that they haven’t been able to identify any specific risk factors for these rare events, such as age, gender or previous medical history of clotting disorders. A further recommendation is expected following a meeting of the EMA’s safety committee on April 6-9.

Cooke cited figures of 62 cases of blood clots in the brain — 44 of these from the European Economic Area — with the caveat that these numbers only counted cases until March 22. The committee will look at additional data when it meets next week.

Addressing reports that the cases have been largely confined to younger women, Peter Arlett, head of pharmacovigilance and epidemiology at the EMA, said that this could be due to the fact that more younger women are receiving the jab than men.

On March 30, Germany reported a total of 31 cases of these blood clots in the brain and announced that the jab would only be given to over 60s. France has limited the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to over 55s.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-...rt-restriction-of-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/

 

[Simon G]

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19...-slow-says-world-health-organisation-12262635

COVID-19: Europe's vaccine rollout 'unacceptably slow' says World Health Organisation

A WHO report says "variants of concern" are continuing to spread across the continent and the "strain on hospitals grows" so speeding up the vaccination rollout was "crucial".

 

[Simon G]

There's some good stuff in today's video update.

 

[Crewella]

There's some good stuff in today's video update.

There is good stuff ................ but I can't watch him - I'm asleep by the time he gets to the fecking point .................

 

[Simon G]

There is good stuff ................ but I can't watch him - I'm asleep by the time he gets to the fecking point .................

That's how I like my covid info ... slow, calm, relaxing.

I actually did fall asleep listening to him the other night.

 

[Crewella]

That's how I like my covid info ... slow, calm, relaxing.

I actually did fall asleep listening to him the other night.

I think it's me, I'm not good with most talking heads, radio, podcasts, etc. - I get impatient. I prefer to read my info.

 

[Mitz]

AstraZeneca vaccine: UK reports 25 new rare types of blood clots

Benefits of the vaccines against Covid-19 continue to outweigh any risks - UK agency

The UK government said there have been 25 new reports of rare types of blood clots linked to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine recently, adding to the numbers that have caused European countries to adopt precautionary measures.

The total number of cases as of March 24th is now 30, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said in a statement Friday. Prior to that, the agency disclosed five cases on March 18th. There were no reports of the same reactions to the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, the agency said.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, is under mounting scrutiny and has faced dwindling support in Europe. Still, countries are counting on the shot to help them exit the pandemic, and millions of doses have been administered across the region.

The UK agency said that the 30 incidents were out of 18.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine given by that date.

“On the basis of this ongoing review, the benefits of the vaccines against Covid-19 continue to outweigh any risks and you should continue to get your vaccine when invited to do so,” it said.

Earlier this week, the European Union’s drugs regulator said a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare type of blood clot is possible, identifying at least 62 cases of the condition.

The European Medicines Agency said its safety committee will probably issue an updated recommendation next week.

Germany has restricted older people from taking the AstraZeneca vaccine amid growing concerns about side effects. That could slow Europe’s already lagging immunization program as virus cases surge anew.

On Friday, Australia reported one case of clotting disorders following inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine and is investigating, according to a joint statement by government agencies.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business...blood-clots-1.4527120?localLinksEnabled=false

 

[Mitz]

UK regulator reports blood clots linked to Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine

Number of related thrombosis cases in the country now at 30, up from five earlier this month.

The country is mainly relying on the shot to carry out its vaccination program so far, where it is leading most of Europe | Fred Tanneau/AFP via Getty Images


The U.K.’s drug safety regulator has identified more cases of thrombosis related to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, bringing the total to 30 — though it says the benefits of the shot still far outweigh the risks.

The country is mainly relying on the shot to carry out its vaccination program so far, where it is leading most of Europe. As of March 18, it had reported only five cases of thrombosis, the blood clotting disorder that has worried regulators throughout the EU.

But the latest report, published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) late Thursday, said that as of March 24 it had received 22 reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, as well as 8 reports of other thrombosis events, out of 18.1 million doses administered.

“The number and nature of suspected adverse reactions reported so far are not unusual in comparison to other types of routinely used vaccines,” the MHRA wrote.

“On the basis of this ongoing review, the benefits of the vaccines [both AstraZeneca and BioNTech/Pfizer] against COVID-19 continue to outweigh any risks and you should continue to get your vaccine when invited to do so,” it added.

The report puts the U.K. more in line with other European countries that have logged thrombosis, sometimes fatal, as a potential side effect of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Germany, for example, has reported 31 suspected cases, leading it to suspend use of the vaccine in those under the age of 60. The vaccination committee at the Robert Koch Institute, the country’s disease control agency, is now recommending that people below the age of 60 who have already received a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine be given a second dose of an mRNA vaccine such as BioNTech/Pfizer instead to complete their course of shots.

MHRA said that there were no reports of thrombosis-related events for the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.

However, it added that “the benefits of the vaccines against COVID-19 continue to outweigh any risks and you should continue to get your vaccine when invited to do so.

 

[Jd_]

Ill b nice and just point out the az vaccine is an mrna vaccine, just like pfizer and moderna

They will probably discover just as many adverse reactions to a nano lipid as an adenovirus

 

[Mitz]

I wouldn't say it's "just like". One uses DNA and the others use RNA.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine.html