AstraZeneca Review Finds COVID-19 Vaccine Doesn't Increase Risk Of Blood Clots

AstraZeneca Plc AZN said on Sunday that a review of safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated with its COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union and the United Kingdom showed no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.

What Happened: According to the drugmaker, the safety data showed no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia, in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country.

AstraZeneca said that as of March 8, 15 events of DVT and 22 events of pulmonary embolism were reported among those given the vaccine in the E.U. and the U.K.

However, this figure is much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed COVID-19 vaccines, the company added.

AstraZeneca will make public its monthly safety report on the European Medicines Agency or EMA website in the following week.

See Also: Europe's Vaccination Drive Shaky As Bloc Grapples With Safety Scare Related To AstraZeneca COVID-19 Shot: Report

Why It Matters: Many European countries have suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of blood clotting issues.

On Sunday, Ireland became the latest country to suspend using the vaccine as a precautionary measure.  Other countries that have suspended the vaccine now include Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia and Thailand.

The EMA said it has not found any indications that the issues of blood clots were related to the AstraZeneca vaccine. The World Health Organization or WHO said Friday it is carefully assessing the current reports on the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Also on Friday, AstraZeneca announced a shortfall in planned COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the EU due to lower-than-expected output from the production process. The company added it is collaborating with the EU Commission and Member States to address the supply challenges.

Price Action: AstraZeneca shares closed 0.5% lower on Friday at $48.42.

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