World

NI to keep using AstraZeneca jab after Irish suspension

March 15, 2021 7:28 am

Health officials in Northern Ireland will continue using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after its suspension in the Republic of Ireland.

The country’s National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended the move after reports of serious blood clotting events in adults in Norway.

Ireland’s Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it was “precautionary”.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said there was no link between the jab and an increased risk of clotting.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it was aware of the suspension in Ireland and was “closely reviewing reports”.

“But given the large number of doses administered, and the frequency at which blood clots can occur naturally, the evidence available does not suggest the vaccine is the cause,” a spokesperson said.