The director of
the Oxford Vaccine Group on Monday defended the AstraZeneca jab denying the
reports of blood clotting. Andrew Polland, director of the vaccine group, said that there were reassuring evidence that no increase in a blood clot
phenomenon was recorded in the UK, where most of the AstraZeneca doses have been administered, reported AFP.

Also read: Five things to know about the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine

“It is critical
that we don’t face a problem of not inoculating people and balance out the huge
risk of COVID-19 without the proper data,” Polland told BBC
radio.

The pharmaceutical
company also addressed 15 such instances reported and said those incidences of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) along with 22 events of
pulmonary embolism in those administered the vaccine was “much lower
than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population.”

The statements come after several EU nations like 

like Denmark, Norway, Austria and Iceland suspended the usage of AstraZeneca dose against COVID-19 after reports indicated that the jabs were causing blood clots in a few people.

Post the allegations and suspensions, various health bodies like European Medicines Agency and WHO backed the Oxford generated vaccine and rebutted claims of clots.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday said it was “an excellent vaccine” and there is no reason to stop using it.

Meanwhile, Ireland, Dutch and the
Netherlands on Sunday became the latest countries to stop the use of the
Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine out of precaution, while India said it would put the vaccine under keen review amid the blood clot fears.