Region's Public Health Directors offer reassurance over vaccine

17 Mar 2021 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

The region’s Directors of Public Health are reassuring people that they consider the AstraZeneca vaccine to be safe and effective.

Below is their joint statment:
 
“There have been 37 reports of potentially serious blood clots out of the 17 million doses given to people across the EU - that's actually a lower number of incidents than you'd expect to see in the population.  The UK regulator (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (the European regulator for medicines and vaccines) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have all said there is no indication that the vaccine causes blood clots and have recommended its continued use. With that in mind, it is difficult to understand why some EU countries have suspended its use.  What people probably don't know is that there is evidence that if you get COVID-19, you're at higher risk of developing blood clots during infection, and those that do have an increased risk of dying.
 
"We want to reassure people that, on the basis of current evidence, we consider the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective. All adverse effects are closely monitored through the same tried and tested process we use for other medicines.  While we understand people might be worried, this vaccine is the best way of protecting yourself and your family from this awful virus, and to help us all look forward to a brighter future. If you are offered vaccination in the coming days, we would strongly urge you to take it." Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health, Gateshead Council