By Grace Kuria
World Health Organization (WHO) safety experts on Tuesday meet over the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine whose rollout has been halted in several countries, over blood clot fears.
WHO however continues to insist that the vaccine is safe and should be used, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist said, “We need to continue to closely monitor this, we do not want people to panic, and we would for the time being recommend that countries continue to vaccinate with AstraZeneca.”
AstraZeneca on Sunday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe saying that there is no evidence for a link with blood clots, despite concerns over its safety that have led to eleven countries suspending its use.
Countries that have thus far suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine include Indonesia, The Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Italy, Democratic Republic of Congo, among others.