WASHINGTON – The European Union said yesterday that it is expecting 50 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses earlier than expected, as the United States said it would continue a pause in vaccinations using the Johnson & Johnson shot for at least another week so regulators can assess possible blood clot links.
Rival drugmaker AstraZeneca faced a similar setback after Denmark banned its use, also over blood clot links.
Concerns over using the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines have dampened hopes that mass immunisations will lead to a swift exit from the global pandemic that has killed nearly three million people and ravaged the global economy.
Nevertheless, there was some good news as BioNTech-Pfizer announced that 50 million doses that were due to arrive in Europe in late 2021 will instead start arriving as early as this month.
More than 820 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have now been administered globally. Demand continues to outstrip supply, and countries are scrambling to secure the much-needed jabs for their people.
The race to secure vaccines has sparked diplomatic rows, notably between Britain and the EU after the bloc accused London of hoarding jabs. Australia has also accused the EU of falling short on promised doses.
A panel of US health experts ruled that the pause on using the J&J vaccines would continue for at least another week so they have time to assess the risk of blood clots.
Another case of the clotting disorder was reported yesterday, bringing the total of US cases to seven – including one death – among the 7.2 million J&J doses administered in the country.
“I don’t want to send the message that there is something fundamentally wrong with this vaccine,” said Beth Bell, chair of the expert group convened by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“But I want to be able to understand and defend the decision that I've made (to continue using the vaccine or not) based on a reasonable amount of data,” she added.
Johnson & Johnson said it would delay its European rollout, again over blood clot fears – a major hit for the continent’s beleaguered immunisation campaign.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it would make a recommendation on the safety of the J&J jab next week after evaluating clot links.
AstraZeneca has faced similar setbacks, with many countries now limiting its use to older people following isolated cases of blood clots among younger populations, some fatal.
Denmark said yesterday it would stop using it altogether – a European first – despite assurances from the EMA and the World Health Organisation that the benefits far outweigh possible risks.
Russia’s state-run Gamaleya research institute meanwhile said there was no risk of blood clots from its Sputnik V vaccine.
Several countries, from Germany to India to Argentina, are battling a worrying spike in cases. – AFP, April 15, 2021
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