The Canadian and Provincial governments are trying to reassure Canadians that the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is safe to use even though a large number of European countries have suspended the vaccine due to allegedly causing blood clots.
Health-care workers have been trying to explain the benefits of the vaccine to Montrealers who are concerned about taking it.
Is the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine safe?
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau said, “Health Canada and our experts have spent an awful lot of time making sure every vaccine approved in Canada is both safe and effective. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is safe and Canadians should have no concerns about receiving it.
Over a dozen European countries have suspended the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine including Germany, France and Italy after reports of people developing blood clots in Denmark and Norway. Despite being there was no evidence that the vaccine was the cause. The Netherlands suspended the vaccine for precautionary measures only.
AstraZeneca the manufacturer said the vaccine has reviewed data on 17 million people that have received the vaccine and found 37 cases were people developed blood clots with “no evidence of an increased risk” of blood clots in any gender or age in any country across the globe.
“When you look at the number of people who have received the vaccine vs. the number of blood clots that’s just the baseline risk,” said Dr. Christopher Labos, a Montreal cardiologist, reported from the CBC. Dr. Labos added, “some people would have gotten blood clots anyway, even without receiving the vaccine, especially older people with pre-existing medical condition.”
“The best vaccine vaccine for you to take is the very first one that is offered to you. That’s how we get through this as quickly as possible and as safely as possible,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.
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