Controversy Over AZ Vaccine Blood Clots in the UK Too: "Vaccinations Must Continue"

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (center) is wearing protective clothing and receiving a briefing during a visit to AstraZeneca's facility in Macclesfield on the 6th (local time).

Controversy over blood clots related to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (AZ) has also emerged in the United Kingdom.

Professor Saad Shakir, director of the Drug Safety Research Unit at the University of Southampton in the UK, told The Guardian on the 6th (local time) that "evidence linking the vaccine to rare blood clots has been accumulating in Europe and the UK."

Director Shakir stated, "However, the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective," adding, "It has protected millions from COVID-19 and will continue to be effective worldwide."

Jun Raine, chief executive of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), also said, "If you are advised to get vaccinated, you should follow that guidance," and added, "We are thoroughly reviewing reports of very rare and specific types of blood clots occurring after receiving the AZ vaccine, but no actions have been decided yet."

The UK is closely connected to the AZ vaccine. The prestigious University of Oxford in the UK co-developed the vaccine with AstraZeneca, and so far, 18 million people in the UK have been vaccinated with the AZ vaccine.

However, concerns grew last month when blood clot symptoms appeared among AZ vaccine recipients in some European countries such as Austria. In the UK, 30 cases of rare blood clots had been reported by early this month, with 7 deaths among them.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that the benefits of the AZ vaccine outweigh the risks, but safety concerns continue as Germany decided to limit the AZ vaccine to those aged 60 and over.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.