MHRA recommends AstraZeneca jab not be offered to under 30s
pharmafile | April 8, 2021 | News story | |
The MHRA have recommended that people under the age of 30 not be offered the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, due to evidence linking the jab to rare blood clotting events.
A MHRA review found that 79 cases and 19 deaths had occurred from thrombotic events after 20 million doses of the vaccine had been administered. Of those cases, nearly two-thirds were seen in women, with all the recorded cases of clotting occurring after a single vaccination dose.
The review committee stated that these cases were not proof that the AstraZeneca vaccine was the cause, but said that the link was getting stronger.
Dr June Raine, the CEO of the MHRA, said: “The evidence is firming up. While it is a strong possibility, more work is needed to establish beyond all doubt that the vaccine has caused this side-effect.”
People in the UK under 30 will be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which has raised the issue of pressure on the vaccine supply.
However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock stated this morning that the UK was still on track to vaccinate all adults by 31 July.
Speaking on Sky News, he said: “There are 10.16 million people aged between 18 and 29 in the UK, 1.6 million of them have already had their first jab.
“Anybody who’s had the jab should continue with the second jab because there’s no evidence of this affect after a second jab and we have more than enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to cover all of the remaining 8.5 million people aged between 18 and 29 if necessary.
He also assured the public of the safety of the available vaccines, saying: “All three vaccines that are in use in the UK are safe and they’re safe at all ages, but there’s a preference for the under-30s, if they want to have the Pfizer or Moderna jab, then they can.”
The EMA also held a press conference to discuss the findings of their review into the clotting events, concluding that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks, but that blood clots should be listed as a possible rare side effect of the AstraZeneca jab.
Kat Jenkins
