New Advice on COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca
New vaccine advice
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) scientific review of UK reports of extremely rare and unlikely to occur specific blood clots with lowered platelets has concluded that the evidence of a link with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is stronger but more work is still needed.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has weighed the relative balance of benefits and risks and advise that the benefits of prompt vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the risk of adverse events for individuals 30 years of age and over and those who have underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. JCVI currently advises that it is preferable for adults aged under 30 years without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, to be offered an alternative COVID-19 vaccine, if available.
Alternatives to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine currently approved for use in the UK include the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 and Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccines.