UK Reports 30 Cases of Rare Blood Clots Linked to AstraZeneca Vaccine Amid Ongoing Safety Review

China News Service, April 2 – According to a report by the Central News Agency, the UK’s medicines regulator announced on the 1st that it had identified 30 rare cases of blood clots following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine, an increase of 25 cases compared to previous reports. Nevertheless, authorities maintain that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency stated that it had not received any reports of such reactions following administration of the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by Germany’s BioNTech and the US-based Pfizer.

However, regulatory officials stated that they still believe the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19 infection far outweigh any potential risk of blood clots.

On March 18, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency stated that five cases of rare cerebral blood clots had been reported among 11 million vaccine doses administered.

On April 1, the regulatory authority stated that among a total of 18.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered, 22 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and 8 cases of thrombotic events associated with low platelet counts were reported.

The European Medicines Agency previously announced that it was investigating cases of thromboembolic complications following AstraZeneca vaccination in some European countries. Several EU member states suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. On March 18, the agency recommended continuing the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, prompting a number of countries to resume vaccinations. Investigations into thromboembolic complications among AstraZeneca vaccine recipients are currently ongoing.