AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Suspensions: All You Need to Know

After several European countries reported the emergence of blood clots in patients inoculated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the first week of March 2021, the rollout of the vaccine in some countries, including Denmark, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, Iceland, and Thailand, was temporarily suspended, pending investigation of the vaccine’s side-effects.

However, these suspensions have heightened vaccine hesitancy and have catalysed further deliberation over the new COVID-19 vaccines. This article, therefore, seeks to make you more informed about these vaccine suspensions. Read on to find out more!

Why has the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine been suspended?

Across Europe, starting with Austria and Denmark, several cases (> 15) of blood clot in veins and blood clot entering the lungs were reported among those who were recently administered the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

On March 10th, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) noted two cases: first, a death in a recently-inoculated individual due to multiple blood clots, and second, a hospitalization of a recently-inoculated individual due to a blood clot in their lung. Following this, the EMA began investigating the incidents, but said that there was “no indication” that the vaccine had caused them. The WHO and AstraZeneca have also released statements saying that they have not found a concrete link between the blood clots and administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine.Yet, as a precautionary measure, some countries have paused the use of the vaccine pending a formal EMA investigation, while some have halted the use of just one batch.

Which countries have suspended the vaccine?

The countries which have temporarily suspended the use of the vaccine itself are Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Italy, Romania, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Luxembourg have suspended the use of certain batches of the vaccine.

· Are vaccination programs in vaccine-suspended countries being stopped entirely?

In recent times, the EU (where most vaccine-suspended countries lay) has been criticized for the slow pace of its vaccination programmes, as only 14% of its population has been vaccinated until now as opposed to 48% of the UK’s population. The suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine will cause setbacks to the vaccination programmes, but it is not likely to halt vaccination programs entirely given the emergence of the approval of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines, for which the EU has already signed deals.

Is Europe being too cautious about the vaccine?

Although most European authorities have defended their decision to suspend the vaccine, citing it as a “precautionary measure,” many have referred to the halting of AstraZeneca vaccine rollouts as flawed decision-making, saying that it has set back countries’ entire vaccination rollout. Furthermore, this is not the first time that Europe has seemed sceptical about the vaccine: for example, initially, Germany and France did not recommend the use of the vaccine for adults above the age of 65.

However, amidst a fast-moving pandemic where each decision can have far-reaching consequences, relying on the precautionary principle, long established in both administration and science, may not be the worst decision. While some (such as the UK) have reaped fruits of bold decision-making, exerting caution is also equally important.

This debate, nonetheless, will last a little longer, until a clear winner with a correct decision can be discerned. Yet, for now, it can be said that the Europe is being cautious about the vaccine, but too cautious may be an exaggeration.

· What could the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine suspensions mean for India?

The Indian version of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India as “Covishield.” Yet, following the suspension of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Indian government has decided to conduct a deeper probe and review the post-vaccination side-effects of the vaccine. As of now, however, with only 0.020% reported adverse event following immunization, there are no immediate concerning issues given that adverse post-vaccination events are minimal and issues of blood clotting almost negligible.

Do we need to be terrified of these vaccine suspensions?

Before we jump to conclusions, we need to remember that both the World Health Organization and European Medicines Agency have vouched for the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine. No common consensus has been reached yet, and vaccines have only been suspended by individual nations as a precautionary measure. Therefore, as of now, there is little to indicate that the vaccine is a cause of blood clotting, rather than a coincidence, so these vaccine suspensions should not be alarming.

Written by: Unnathi Kumar

Edited by: Ishani Patil