United Nations published this video item, entitled “AstraZeneca vaccine: COVID-19 Update – WHO Press Conference (19 March 2021)” – below is their description.
Briefing reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “the available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions following administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.” He also said, “the AstraZeneca vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks, with tremendous potential for preventing infections and deaths from COVID-19,” adding, “We urge countries to continue using this important vaccine.”
Speaking to reporters today (19 Mar) in Geneva, Dr Tedros said, “we understand that people may have had concerns about the safety of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The question with any pharmaceutical or vaccine is whether the risk of taking it is greater or less than the risk of the disease it is meant to prevent or treat. In this case, there is no question. COVID-19 is a deadly disease and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can prevent it. It’s also important to remember that COVID-19 itself can cause blood clots and low platelets. We urge countries to continue using this important vaccine. “
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown in Sierra Leone also spoke to reporters. She said, “what we don’t want to see is greater inequality being driven by the inequality of a vaccine rollout. And this is really a possibility.”
She continued, “a country like ours and a city like mine has not seen the devastation in numbers from a health perspective that other people, other cities have experienced around the world. To date, 2,222 cases, confirmed cases in Freetown. Of course, we know that testing could have been more and therefore the numbers could have been more. But that notwithstanding, we are still talking about two thousand plus cases and 80 deaths. You’d almost think that COVID had passed us by, but it hasn’t.”
WHO’s Dr Bruce Aylward said, “what the populations are generally looking for is that these get properly assessed, properly evaluated, so that their confidence can be assured. And in fact, I would think it’s interesting. I spoke to a number of people, as you can imagine, about this issue, a number of people from general population, a more general population, meaning not us working in the response and their general sense was great. They actually had a greater confidence in the product because it had gone through such scrutiny over the last week, in particular through the EMA processes, through WHO’s processes as well.”
Dr Rogerio Pinto de Sá Gaspar is the Director of WHO Regulation and Prequalification. He said, “the main message to take home, is that the system is working, the assessment is being done, information is being updated both by EMA at the summary of product characteristics of the product that is approved.”
He continued, “we are continuing with our regulatory process because EUL needs also now to integrate with the authorities from India and the Republic of Korea about some changes on the information package for the two vaccines that are produced under the EUL. So this is a normal situation under control by the regulatory authorities and with total transparency in terms of the communication of the events.”
WHO’s Mike Ryan EXD told reporters, “but there was a tremendous media explosion around this event when there was very little information around that. And many, I think, political leaders came under intense scrutiny. They were being asked constant questions. There wasn’t a definitive answer. And many chose that precautionary principle of shutting down the use of vaccine, which potentially further undermined the confidence in that vaccination.”
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove is WHO’s COVID-19 Technical lead. She said, “I think it’s important that we acknowledge that people have questions, that people have concerns. And this is normal. This is natural. This is good. But you need to make sure you find information from good sources so that any fear that you may have or questions that you have, you find the right information to answer those questions.”
She continued, “it’s good to question. It’s good to ask, but it’s good to get the right information. We have seen these are safe and effective vaccines and vaccination is a critical part of ending this pandemic.”
United Nations YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.
