As the United Kingdom seeks to reassure the public that the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford is effective and safe, the country's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to receive his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to get AstraZeneca vaccine
The 56-year-old UK prime minister urged other individuals to get inoculated against coronavirus and cited that the UK's independent drug regulator's data showed that the vaccine is safe. Johnson also added that the benefits of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risks.
According to CNBC, the UK prime minister's move came after a flurry of countries around the world had suspended the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine usage as part of their precautionary measure as reports of blood clots in some individuals have been recorded. Some health experts who criticized the issue cited a lack of data. Simultaneously, some analysts expressed their concern regarding the possible impact on the vaccine uptake as the virus continues to spread worldwide.
Regulators from the UK and the European Union have shared that there was no evidence that the coronavirus vaccine had caused the alleged blood clots. The World Health Organization (WHO) also stated that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine benefits outweighed the risks and recommended continuously using the vaccine.
On Thursday, while speaking at the Downing Street conference, Johnson shared that the vaccine developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca was safe but what is not safe is acquiring COVID-19. The Prime Minister reminded the public to get their vaccines as soon as their turn comes. The UK prime minister was also treated in a hospital for COVID-19 in April last year and spent days recovering in an intensive care unit.
Not only the UK prime minister will make such an act as Jean Castex, but the French Prime Minister will also be doing the same. Castex is also expected to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday as Paris experienced another month-long lockdown, Deutsche Welle reported.
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Supply of Vaccines
Based on the latest update, countries like France, Italy, Germany, and Spain are among those European countries which will resume their usage of the vaccine after a drug regulator in Europe declared its safety and effectiveness. Even Indonesia, which had previously delayed administering the vaccine, stated on Friday that it had approved the vaccine's use.
But countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, have said that they will not yet resume inoculating the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca as they would conduct their independent reviews.
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The UK, which did not stop its rollout of vaccine shots, said there would be delays in its vaccine supply next month. But assured that its vaccination would impact the roadmap out of lockdown for England.
Meanwhile, the National Health Service had warned regarding a 'significant reduction' in the weekly supply of COVID-19 vaccines in England next month. The NHS also cited fewer doses than the initially expected that had arrived from India, Hindustan Times reported.
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