The Department of Health (DOH) has temporarily stopped the use of AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals aged 59 and below on Thursday (April 8) following the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit the use of the vaccine.
FDA Director-General Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA)’s safety committee issued a statement on Wednesday (April 7) regarding the connection of the AstraZeneca vaccine with the “very rare side effects” of blood clots with low blood platelets.
“The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects,” the statement further read.
Domingo pointed out that the side effect is only connected to 16 cases out of 200 million individuals vaccinated, and mostly found in women aged 59 and below.
“To date, the National Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee (NAEFIC) has not received any local reports of such side effects,” he added.
Domingo also said that those who were vaccinated with the first dose can still receive the second dose of the vaccine, since the rare side effect was only recorded after receiving the first dose.
The FDA assured the public that the study of the data regarding the matter will be finished before the scheduled arrival of the second dose. The FDA Chief ensured that they will wait for the official guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) before using the vaccine on individuals aged 59 and below.
The agency asserted that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is still safe and effective despite the temporary halting of its use for a certain age range.
Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS-jlo
