Australia to Continue AstraZeneca Vaccine Rollout Despite European Safety Concerns

On March 16, according to a report by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, many EU countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns over serious side effects. However, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg stated on the same day that Australia would not follow suit. Reports indicate that Australia had only just begun administering the AstraZeneca vaccine the previous week, having previously rolled out the Pfizer vaccine as its first authorized vaccine. In an interview on March 16, Frydenberg noted that both the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization had confirmed the efficacy and safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine.