Over the past few months, there have been lots of issues across Europe with the vaccine roll out. From the EU’s difficulties in acquiring vaccines, culminating in its attempt to control exports across the Irish border, to Emmanuel Macron casually deriding the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab (AZ) to vaccine hesitancy, it’s not been easy. Today there was more trouble on the AZ front, with leaders concerned about whether it leads to blood clots. Without further ado, here’s a round up of some of the developments:
BREAKING: Germany is suspending the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine with immediate effect following recommendation from institute which advises government on immunisation
— Fergus Walsh (@BBCFergusWalsh) March 15, 2021
When we knew the vaccines were coming, ministers were worried that foreign governments might undermine public confidence in the jabs. They were thinking of Russia and China, not France and Germany.
— Nick Timothy (@NJ_Timothy) March 15, 2021
Hard to avoid the conclusion that many European leaders seem to want to continue to stoke completely unsubstantiated fear about Britain's Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
A serious folly that will keep Europe locked down for even longer… https://t.co/MpFVpOMaGG— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) March 15, 2021
Starting to think that the EU might be playing politics with vaccine nationalism, lads.
— Tom Harwood (@tomhfh) March 15, 2021
https://twitter.com/Geopolitics_Emp/status/1371205434330206210?s=20
The decision to temporarily suspend use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was based on new information from Norway that emerged late last night. This is a precautionary step. The National Immunisation Advisory Comm meets again this morning and we’ll provide an update after that
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) March 14, 2021
Ireland suspends Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/se88JmsfP8 pic.twitter.com/7VYTV7C8ee
— Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) March 14, 2021
So all in all, there is still huge scepticism about the AZ vaccine. Are leaders right to stop the AZ roll out? The European Medicines Agency and World Health Organization have both said there’s no evidence of a link between the jab and blood clots, although the EMA is apparently going to advise further tomorrow. In the UK there have been 37 reports of blood clots among 17 million people (and there is no strong biological explanation of why the vaccine would cause a clot). So it all looks slightly strange.
Leaders are using what is known as the “precautionary principle”; a scientific method that means you pause and review something if you’re unsure about it. It’s the ideal thing to do, of course, but the consensus from scientists elsewhere seems to be that leaders need to press ahead given the urgency of the pandemic situation. Suspending AZ can mean that many more lives are lost from the direct impact of the virus. Either way, you get a sense that “extreme prudence” may not have been the right move.