Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nations Pause AstraZeneca Vaccines, But Company Denies Blood Clot Link
The Washington Post: AstraZeneca Asserts No Link Between Its Vaccine And Blood Clots As More Countries Suspend Use
Drugmaker AstraZeneca said late Sunday that there is no scientific evidence of any link between its coronavirus vaccine and recent deaths in Europe from blood clots, even as more countries have temporarily halted the use of the shot. In a statement, AstraZeneca said that of the 17 million people so far inoculated with its vaccine, there have only been 15 cases of deep vein thrombosis and 22 pulmonary embolisms. “This is is much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed covid-19 vaccines,” the company said. (Cunningham and Schemm, 3/15)
Axios: AstraZeneca On COVID Vaccine: "No Evidence" Of Increased Blood Clot Risk
AstraZeneca announced Sunday a comprehensive review has found "no evidence" that its COVID-19 vaccine causes an increased risk of blood clots. Authorities in Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have paused administering the vaccine because of clotting concerns, per Reuters. (Falconer, 3/14)
CNBC: Covid: Ireland, Netherlands Suspend AstraZeneca Vaccine Amid Blood Clot Fears
Ireland and the Netherlands have joined the growing list of countries that have suspended the use of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford over blood clot concerns. The Dutch government said on Sunday that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would not be used until at least March 29, while Ireland said earlier in the day that it had temporarily suspended the shot as a precautionary step. (Meredith, 3/15)
In other global vaccine news —
Reuters: Unthinkable? EU Considers Getting A Vaccine Boost From Russia's Sputnik
Publicly, the European Union has dismissed Russia’s global coronavirus vaccine supply campaign as a propaganda stunt by an undesirable regime. Behind the scenes, the bloc is turning to Moscow’s Sputnik V shot as it tries to get its stuttering efforts to vaccinate its 450 million people back on track, EU diplomatic and official sources told Reuters. An EU official who negotiates with vaccine makers on behalf of the bloc told Reuters that EU governments were considering launching talks with Sputnik V developers and it would take requests from four EU states to start the process. (Guarascio, Chalmers and Parodi, 3/15)
AP: Mexico's President Knocks US Over Vaccines
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took a dig at the U.S. government Sunday, saying the United States has not helped Mexico with coronavirus vaccines. López Obrador thanked India and Russia, which have each sent small amounts of vaccines, and China, whose firms have promised millions of doses. López Obrador said “I hope that soon I will be able to say thanks to the U.S. government, because I am sure they are going to help too, it is just that that haven’t done so so far.” (3/15)
