European Union medicines chief is 'firmly convinced' AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is worth getting
Sweden joined its Scandinavian neighbors and several other European countries on Tuesday in suspending use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, citing reports of blood clotting among vaccine recipients. Thirteen European Union countries — including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain — have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine until a review, expected Thursday, from the EU's drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency. EMA chief Emer Cooke urged those nations to resume vaccinations.
"We are still firmly convinced that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19 with its associated risk of hospitalization and death outweigh the risk of the side effects," Cooke said Tuesday. "At present there is no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions," but "this is a serious concern and it does need serious and detailed scientific evaluation." The World Health Organization and AstraZeneca also say there's no evidence the vaccine increases risk of blood clots.
Health authorities in the countries suspending use of the vaccine concede the lack of evidence but say they are acting out of an abundance of caution. Even with Poland, Romania, Greece, Belgium, and other EU countries continuing to use AstraZeneca's vaccine, almost half the bloc's 15 million doses are lying in storage even as European countries struggle to vaccinate their populations.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Somalia's health minister and Thailand's prime minister got the AstraZeneca vaccine publicly to boost confidence in the shot. Thailand was the first non-European country to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine but reversed course Tuesday. "There are people who have concerns," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said after getting the shot. "But we must believe doctors, believe in our medical professionals."
AstraZeneca got more bad news Tuesday when a study from South Africa published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed the vaccine offered essentially no protection against mild or moderate infections from the South African variant of the coronavirus, B.1.351.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Quiz of The Week: 20 - 26 April
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote
Speed Read First minister is 'done', according to insider, but a single vote could change the balance
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published