AstraZeneca COVID vaccine 'safe', claims UK PM Boris Johnson amid global skepticism

British PM Boris Johnson, on March 16, defended the safety of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines saying that the jabs were “highly effective” in bringing down both disease and deaths. His response came after several European nations including France, Germany and Italy temporarily suspended the use of vaccine shots manufactured by the British Swedish pharmaceutical citing reports of severe side blood clots. The vaccine, however, has got backing from the European Medical Association (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Echoing their stance on Tuesday, the British leader asserted that the shots are not harmful and were being used across the world. Writing in his op-ed in the British daily The Times, Johnson stressed that the vaccine was absolutely safe and “worked extremely well”. Additionally, he also wrote that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine was being produced in multiple states including India as well as England. 

Previously, Johnson had told reporters that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were "one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world" and they did not see any reason to discontinue the use of AstraZeneca/Oxford shots. Claiming that he was extremely confident about the country's vaccination programme using all the vaccines, he said that the rapid roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine was just “great”. 

Vaccine skepticism

The AstraZeneca/Oxford made vaccine has attracted skepticism across the countries following complaints of severe side effects including blood clots. Multiple countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland and Norway have temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Defending its vaccines, AstraZeneca reported that it conducted a review of safety data from over 17 million recipients and found no evidence of increased risk of blood clots. The pharmaceutical was also backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which majorly uses AstraZeneca jabs for its COVAX scheme. 

Earlier today, Thailand finally resumed its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after battling a temporary ban.  The country’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who became the first Thai resident to get the shot, said that by doing so, he wanted to minimise doubts about the vaccine.

(Image Credit: The Associated Press)