FILE PHOTO: World Health Organization鈥檚 Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge speaks during a news conference about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Eigtveds Pakhus, in Copenhagen, Denmark March 27, 2020. Ida Guldbaek Arentsen /Ritzau Scanpix/ via REUTERS
LONDON 鈥� The benefits of AstraZeneca鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh any risks and countries across Europe should continue to use it to help save lives, the World Health Organization鈥檚 (WHO) European director said Thursday.
Hans Kluge noted that Europe鈥檚 medicines regulators are investigating a small number of cases of blood clots in the region that have prompted around a dozen EU governments to suspend us of the AstraZeneca shot.
鈥淎s of now, we do not know whether some or all of the conditions have been caused by the vaccine or by other coincidental factors,鈥� he said, adding: 鈥淎t this point in time, however, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh its risks 鈥� and its use should continue, to save lives.鈥�
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said so far said it has found no causal link between the vaccine and any clotting or blood coagulation reports.
Despite these reassurances, at least 13 EU member states, including Germany, France, and Italy, have suspended use of the shot pending the outcome of a fuller EMA investigation 鈥� expected to be completed on Thursday.
Kluge said gaining and maintaining public trust was 鈥渃rucial.鈥�
鈥淲e need to renew confidence, if it鈥檚 lost, to restore it 鈥� especially for AstraZeneca,鈥� he said.
鈥淏asically we do this by transparency, so communication from day one is very important,鈥� he added. 鈥淣umber two is showing empathy with the people. And number three is to be competent.鈥�
AstraZeneca on Sunday said a review of safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the United Kingdom and European Union with its vaccine had shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.