Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N France Hospital, Dr Cameron Wilkinson remains confident that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective.
“The vaccine is free, safe, and effective and available in all 11 health centers in St. Kitts and six in Nevis,” he said. “I encourage all who are eligible for the vaccine to take advantage of the opportunity.”
The Medical Chief of Staff further noted that blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) said that its Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is currently reviewing the report,” he said. “The WHO data show that more than 268 million doses of COVID-19 Vaccines have been administered worldwide with no serious side effects or deaths to date.”
“They have continued to report that AstraZeneca is an excellent vaccine and that no causal relationship has been established between the shots and the health problems reported,” he added.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has issued a statement responding to concerns raised after several countries suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.
According to CARPHA, some countries in the European Union suspended AstraZeneca from their vaccination campaign following reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in people who had received the vaccine.
“This was done as a precautionary measure while a full investigation is conducted into the reports. At present, it cannot be determined whether there is a link between the vaccine and the disorders. Adverse reactions that happen following immunization with any vaccine need to be fully investigated to rule out various factors, for example , illnesses, the progression of a disease, and batch assessment, before a final decision is made by the health authorities,” CARPHA said.
The public health agency said it is important to note that the vaccine being used is not the same version or batch as the one in Europe.
“The World Health Organization’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) systematically reviews any vaccine safety signals and concerns related to COVID-19 vaccine safety. This committee is carefully assessing the current reports on the Astra Zeneca vaccine. As soon as WHO has gained a full understanding of these events, the findings and any changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to regional and international public health partners which includes CARPHA.”
Meanwhile, the WHO has stated that vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce deaths from other causes.
As of 9 March, over 268 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since the start of the pandemic, based on data reported to WHO by national governments. No cases of death have been found to have been caused by COVID-19 vaccines to date.
CARPHA gave the assurance that its regulatory system applies its reliance procedure to verify vaccines with emergency use authorization granted by stringent regulatory authorities of reference.
“CARPHA encourages persons who have been vaccinated with any of the COVID-19 vaccines available in their country, to report adverse events that occur after vaccination to the local health authorities.”
Astra has defended the vaccine, saying on Sunday that more than 17 million doses have been administered in Europe and U.K., with no evidence that the shot increased the risk of blood clots. As of March 8, there have been 15 reports of clots in the legs, called deep vein thrombosis, and 22 cases where they reached the lungs, known as pulmonary embolism.