The suspension of use of the AstraZeneca vaccine is a real setback to the national inoculation campaign against Covid-19. Some 30,000 people who were to receive the vaccine this week, including healthcare workers and those with chronic health conditions, have had their appointments cancelled and do not yet know when they will be rescheduled. Tens of thousands more who have already received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will wonder whether the interval between shots will now be extended beyond the planned 12 weeks.
The suspension is one of the most consequential decisions taken by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) since the pandemic began. We know that even a single shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine reduces the chance of severe illness from Covid-19 by more than 80 per cent. That means that a vaccine that is proven to save lives is now going to sit in a warehouse while the virus it protects against moves at a large scale through the community. While communication of the rationale behind the decision has improved in the last 24 hours, the initial notice of the suspension, in the form of a hurriedly-drafted two-paragraph statement, was inadequate given the gravity of the situation.
Niac took its decision, "acting on the precautionary principle", in light of four reports from Norway of serious blood clotting in the brains of younger people who had been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca product. It is important to stress, as deputy chief medical officer Ronan Glynn has done, that there is no proof that the vaccine causes blood clots. That is also the position of the World Health Organisation. AstraZeneca says all available safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the EU and UK has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or thrombocytopenia, "in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country". Nonetheles, Dr Glynn said Niac had no choice but to pause use of the vaccine, particularly given that it was due to be administered to people with serious underlying health conditions at risk of very severe disease from Covid-19.
| Total doses distributed to Ireland | Total doses administered in Ireland |
|---|---|
| 9,452,860 | 7,856,558 |
While the pause is regrettable, the damage could yet be contained. A swift green light from the European Medicines Agency, which is expected to release more of its findings on the issue later this week, could enable Niac to lift the suspension. The HSE, which was already preparing to administer up to 250,000 doses a week from early April, would have the capacity to catch up quickly in that scenario.
And while many will inevitably be alarmed by the latest development, the fact that the State moved so quickly should reassure those who worry that safety could be sidelined in the rush to vaccinate populations against the virus.