(CMR) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he will take the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in an attempt to reassure the public of its safety.
Several European countries had suspended the use of the vaccine following concerns over blood clots.
Johnson, who was hospitalized with Covid-19 last year, said he had received the news that he was to be inoculated soon.
The prime minister said he would “certainly” be taking the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
“It will certainly be Oxford-AstraZeneca that I will be having,” the 56-year-old told the House of Commons after he was asked about the safety of the vaccine.
Persons over 50 years old are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Britain.
A World Health Organisation vaccine safety panel said the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab benefits outweigh its risks and is recommending that vaccinations continue.
“The WHO 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,” it said in a statement.
AstraZeneca also said there was no cause for concern, stating that more than 17 million people vaccinated in the EU and the UK had shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.
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