Filenews 24 April 2021
World Health Organisation (WHO) vaccine experts estimated yesterday, Thursday, that it is necessary to gather more data on the occurrence of clots in people outside Europe who have been given the AstraZeneca vaccine against covid-19.
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccination (SAGE) recast its recommendations on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following data on rare cases of thrombosis observed in Europe.
"More benefits than risks"
"The WHO continues to support the conclusion that the benefits of these vaccines are more than the risks," the agency stressed.
On April 7, SAGE had estimated that a link between the vaccine and the clots that occurred in vaccinated patients is likely, but not confirmed, stressing that cases are "very rare."
The WHO updated its recommendations afterwards and the new data gathered from the vaccination campaigns being carried out. The AstraZeneca vaccine is given in 157 regions worldwide, according to an AFP count.
Most cases of thrombosis were seen in Britain and the EU, while "very few" were reported in other countries, SAGE pointed out. Experts recommend that those who experienced thrombosis after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine receive another vaccine in the second dose.
"A risk assessment outside Europe requires more data collection and analysis," the experts stressed in their new recommendations.
Most doses of vaccines used in the Covax program, which offers vaccines to poor countries, are from AstraZeneca. More than 40.5 million doses of this vaccine have so far been sent to 118 regions around the world under the Covax programme.
"Countries should take into account their epidemiological situation, individual risks and population level to assess the availability of other vaccines and other options in order to assess the risk," SAGE noted.
"The benefit-risk ratio is more increased in older age groups," he estimated, noting that "until now we are unaware if there is a risk (thrombosis) after the second dose" of the vaccine.
Source: iefimerida.gr
