ALL people under the age of 40 will be offered an alternative to the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as a precaution against fear of blood clots.
The policy previously applied to those under 30, but the age threshold was raised after the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency released new figures on vaccine-related clots.
The advice comes from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which has been expanding its guidance since last month, where people under the age of 30 have received the same advice.
Last month, people under the age of 30 were told they would be offered an alternative Covid-19 vaccine to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The regulator stressed that this was not proof that the jab was the cause of the clots, but admitted the link was getting stronger.
The new guidelines come despite the fact that the JCVI and the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) insist there are no new safety concerns.
Following research last month, the committee concluded that the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks, but since people under the age of 30 are at lower risk of coronavirus, they should be offered another jab.
This advice has now been extended to people under 40.
In Europe, a review by the European Medicines Agency’s safety committee concluded that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelet counts should be listed as very rare side effects” of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency has reaffirmed that the AstraZeneca vaccine has been shown to be “highly effective” and that vaccination as a whole is “extremely important” in the fight against Covid-19.
It is believed that there is no supply problem in offering the vast majority of young people alternatives to AstraZeneca.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chairman of Covid-19 for JCVI, said, “Safety remains our number one priority.
“We have continued to assess the benefit / risk balance of Covid-19 vaccines in light of UK infection rates and the latest information from the MHRA on the extremely rare event of blood clots and low platelet count after the vaccination.
“As Covid-19 rates continue to be under control, we advise you to offer adults aged 18 to 39 without underlying health problems an alternative to the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, if available and if he does not delay the vaccine.
“The advice is specific to the circumstances in the UK at the moment and maximizes the use of the large portfolio of vaccines available.
“Covid-19 vaccines have already saved thousands of lives and the benefit for the majority of the population is clear – if you are offered the vaccine, you should take it.”
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-07 11:02:42
