UK publishes new data on blood clots linked to AstraZeneca as EMA continues to support vaccine use

The UK MEDICAL regulator has said that seven out of 30 people who suffered blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have died.

The details of the deaths come as several European countries have halted the use of the jab over a possible link to blood clots.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said in a statement that “out of 30 reports up to and including March 24, sadly seven have died.”

The 30 reports of thrombosis, submitted by doctors or members of the public through a government website, came after 18.1 million doses of the vaccine were administered to people in the country.

Most of the cases (22) were cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare condition in which a blood clot forms in the brain.

In eight other cases, people suffered from thrombosis and low levels of platelets in the blood, which help the blood to clot.

It follows data from the EU regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which said Thursday that there had been 62 cases worldwide of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis associated with the vaccine.

The EMA considers the vaccine, which has been administered to millions of people, to be safe and effective, and is expected to announce updated advice on the vaccine next Wednesday.

He believes the vaccine is safe and that experts have not found specific risk factors such as age, gender, or medical history.

A small number of people who have received the vaccine in Ireland so far have reported blood clotting.

However, Ireland’s drug watchdog has said that none of the reported reports described the type of disorder associated with concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine.

AstraZeneca said in mid-March that there was “no evidence” of an increased risk of blood clots due to its vaccine.

Both the EMA and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommended that use of the vaccine in Ireland should continue after the former concluded that the vaccine is “safe and effective” following fears last month.

But some countries, including Denmark and Norway, have stopped vaccines with the jab.

Many have resumed use of the vaccine only for older people, 55 and older, because blood clots are believed to affect younger people.

These include France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden, as well as Canada.

Other countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy and Spain, resumed full deployment after the EMA reassured them.

A recent study by health authorities in England has shown between 60 and 73 percent protection against symptoms in people over 70 years of age, with a single dose.

Last month, AstraZeneca announced that a trial in the US showed an effectiveness of 79 percent, but later revised it to 76 percent after US authorities expressed concern that some results were out of date.

– © AFP 2021 with additional information by Stephen McDermott.