Posted on: Fri 19-03-2021

In the wake of disruptions of ongoing COVID-19 vaccination exercise in Europe and the growing threat to roll-out campaigns around the world amid safety concerns about the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, health regulatory bodies have called for the continuation of vaccinations with the jab in the bid to contain the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic. In separate calls on Wednesday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, the World Health Organisation, WHO,   and the European Union’s main drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, EMA, all posited that the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccination campaign should not be halted because its benefits outweighed its risks.

People are dying of COVID-19, don’t stop vaccination — Adeyeye 

Stating its own position, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, said yesterday vaccinations against COVID-19 should not be stopped in Nigeria, despite fears over the side effects of the jabs. Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, said it was not advisable to stop the AstraZeneca vaccine, considering the number of lives lost to the pandemic so far. “People are dying of COVID-19.  The vaccines should not be stopped unless the side effect it is a statistically massive occurrence,” she said. Although many countries have halted the use of the AstraneZeneca vaccines over fears about possible side effects like blood clotting, Adeyeye believes that the benefits of taking the jabs far outweigh such fear. 

“It is knowing that these are serious but the benefits outweigh the risk,” she insisted, admitting, however, that there is a need for more engagement to know people’s reactions to drugs.” She said the AstraZeneca vaccine is not the first to be used under the emergency authorisation, explaining that other COVID-19 vaccines have been reported to have had adverse effects on people who took the shots. Adeyeye said over 500 persons have been vaccinated against the coronavirus at the National Hospital in Abuja. But she said only about six persons had side effects like fever, chills, and pain. “But we have not reported adverse events of serious nature or special interest,” she added, conceding, however, that it ‘may’ happen later.

Benefits of the vaccine outweigh risks — WHO 

As concerns about possible rare side effects like blood clots and abnormal bleeding continue to trail the AstraZeneca shot, the World Health Organisation, WHO said it considers that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks, hence vaccinations with the jab should continue. The global health body, however, noted that it was still assessing available safety data for the shot and that findings would be communicated when ready. 

“Vaccination against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes. Thromboembolic events are known to occur frequently. Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally.” In its argument, WHO said in extensive vaccination campaigns, it is routine for countries to signal potential adverse events following immunisation. 

“This does not necessarily mean that the events are linked to the vaccination itself, but it is good practice to investigate them. It also shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place.” Further, WHO noted that it is in regular contact with the EU’s main health regulator – the European Medicines Agency, EMA, and regulators around the world for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine safety. 

The health body said that its Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is carefully assessing the latest available safety data for the AstraZeneca vaccine. “Once that review is completed, WHO will immediately communicate the findings to the public. “At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue,” the statement asserted.

EU health regulator pushes back on vaccine doubts 

On its own part, the European Medicines Agency, EMA, has pushed back against doubts about the AstraZeneca jab. The Head of the agency, Emer Cooke, said that regulators were still studying concerns about the possibility of rare side effects. Cooke said that there was “no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions” and that the benefits outweighed the risks.

 The pausing of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine by major European governments is weakening an already faltering rollout. No country in the European Union is on track to reach its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of its population by September 2021. 

However, Thailand, Australia and India are still using the AstraZeneca vaccine as investigations continue into concerns about possible rare side effects like blood clots and abnormal bleeding. It was gathered that the suspensions have as much to do with political considerations as scientific ones. Once Germany hit pause, pressure increased on other governments to follow suit and avoid accusations of being incautious. 

India will continue using Covishield

India said on Wednesday its coronavirus immunisation campaign would continue with “full rigour” despite some concerns in Europe about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine it relies heavily upon as infections hit a three-month high. The EMA is investigating reports of 30 cases of unusual blood disorders out of five million recipients of the vaccine in the region. 

Since starting the drive in mid-January, India has administered 36 million vaccine doses, which are mostly the AstraZeneca shots developed with Oxford University and locally known as Covishield, the same in use in Nigeria. “We have no signal of concern in this regard,” Vinod Kumar Paul, head of a government committee on vaccines who stated that experts in India had looked into the issue. “Covishield vaccination in the country will go on with full rigour.” 

EU may tighten COVID-19 vaccine export restrictions

The European Union says it will consider giving member states more power to block COVID-19 vaccine exports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, amid a slow rollout of shots and rising infections across the region.

Such a move could ratchet up tensions with the U.K., which has been the EU’s No. 1 export recipient but isn’t exporting vaccines to the bloc. Ms. von der Leyen didn’t rule out using emergency powers in the EU’s basic treaties that allow the bloc to seize production in times of severe economic difficulties. 

The EU last used that power during the oil crisis of the 1970s. “We are in the crisis of the century and I am not ruling out anything for now because we have to make sure that Europeans are vaccinated as soon as possible. So vaccine production and vaccine deliveries in the European Union must have a priority, von der Leyen said.”

The EU introduced a mechanism in late January that allowed member states to stop vaccine doses from being exported outside the bloc. Since then, only one export batch has been halted. Ms. von der Leyen said the bloc could consider banning exports to countries that aren’t sending vaccines to the EU and whose vaccination campaigns are running ahead of the blocs. 

She gave no timeline for making a decision, saying that would depend on the response of countries the EU is exporting to and whether the bloc’s vaccine deliveries continue to rise. The EU expects to receive around 360 million vaccine doses in the second quarter, compared with an expected 100 million in the first quarter following a big shortfall in deliveries from AstraZeneca Plc.

Source: Vanguard                                        

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