Should Nigerians be worried as Germany halts the use of the Astrazeneca vaccine?
The German state of Berlin has stopped administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on its residents under the of 60 after multiple results of blood clotting.
Dilek kalayci, Berlin’s top official said the decision to suspend the use of the Astrazeneca came after meeting health regulators from the sixteen German States after they reported cases of blood clots among younger residents.
Some of the health regulators reported that 31 cases of blood clots were recorded recently in which 9 people died as a result.
Also, the heads of five Universities in Western Germany called for the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine citing the high risk of blood clots among young people.
According to DPA News Agency, authorities in Munich as of Tuesday have stopped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people below the age of 60.
“Due to current developments, the city has decided, like Berlin, to suspend vaccinations with AstraZeneca for people under 60 as a precautionary measure until the question of possible complications for this group of people has been clarified,” DPA quoted a city spokesperson as saying.
Recall that on the 2nd of March, 2021, Nigeria took delivery of 3.94 million doses of the vaccine which is currently being administered on older adults, government officials, notable personalities health workers, and other essential workers in the country primarily.
Countries like Norway and Denmark have also suspended the use of the vaccine after several reports of blood clotting among those who had earlier received it.
However, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said the batch of AstraZeneca vaccine Nigeria received is not the one reported to be causing blood clotting.
“It is important to clearly state that Nigeria did not receive any dose from the batch of vaccines which is at issue,” i
“Vaccinations in Nigeria started earlier this month and we have not observed any similar adverse reactions. All side effects reported by those who have been administered the vaccine have been mild.”
For now, there has not been any report of blood clotting among those who have received the vaccine but the increasing suspension of its usage mostly by European countries cannot be swept under the carpet rather it should be treated with concern because some Nigerians who have been reluctant about the vaccine will a cause to.worry
