Ireland has joined a swathe of European countries in opting to suspend doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. Health authorities across the mainland voiced concerns after some patients developed blood clots, which independent agencies have since concluded did not result from the jab. Regardless, Ireland’s National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) suspended doses as a “precaution”.
Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced his country would suspend doses of the AstraZeneca jab yesterday.
In a tweet, he said he based the decision on “new information from Norway” received by the government.
He said: “This is a precautionary step. The National Immunisation Advisory Comm meets again this morning and we’ll provide an update after that.”
Norway’s Norwegian Medicines Agency was one of the first countries to report blood post-vaccine clotting and announced it had discovered four new cases yesterday, followed by Denmark and now the Netherlands too.
READ MORE: Which countries have suspended the AstraZeneca jab?
Dr Phil Bryan, Vaccines Safety Lead with the MHRA, said clotting cases associated with the jab do not exceed those in the general population.
He said: “We are aware of the action in Ireland.
“We are closely reviewing reports but given the large number of doses administered, and the frequency at which blood clots can occur naturally, the evidence available does not suggest the vaccine is the cause.
“People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so.”
AstraZeneca developed its jab with assistance from Oxford University, and it debuted as one of the most effective on the market.
Much like the Moderna and Pfizer candidates, two doses protect people from more than 90 percent of Covid cases.
And they come with limited side effects, which may include a slight fever or pain on the site of injection.
Few people experience adverse side effects after receiving their dose, aside from those who already have severe vaccine allergies.