Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has added his voice in support of the AstraZeneca vaccine following last week’s announcement from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Robbie reiterated that the “Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, effective and has already saved thousands of lives”.
The news comes following reports of a potential links to a rare blood clot which has led to some countries pausing the rollout of the vaccine. However so far there has been no proven link that the vaccine has caused the blood clots.
The benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks of the virus - hospitalisation and death - for the vast majority of people. 18 people worldwide who have received the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have sadly died due to a rare blood clot, whereas 20 million people in the UK have received the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
Whilst the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is not formally recommending an age restriction on the vaccine as some countries have done, it says under-30s with no underlying health conditions should be offered an alternative vaccine where available.
Commenting Robbie Moore said: “I want to assure anybody who is nervous about receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that it is safe to do so. Any potential risks associated with this vaccine is far outweighed by the risks that Covid poses.
“More than 37 million jabs overall have already been administered, and we are on track to offer vaccines to all over 50s by 15 April and all adults by the end of July. Only because of the successful rollout of the vaccine can we continue with the roadmap to reopening the economy.”
