Philippine health officials have decided to temporarily suspend the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for people below 60 following reports of rare blood clots.
The European Medicines Agency on Wednesday reported a possible link but did not recommend any age restrictions on using the drug in adults. The Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration said experts were reviewing information related to AstraZeneca’s side effects to come up with a recommendation on the vaccine’s use.
AstraZeneca and the vaccine developed by China-based Sinovac Biotech have been the only vaccines received so far by the Philippines.
“We continue to underscore that the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks and we urge everyone to get vaccinated when it’s their turn,” FDA Director General Eric Domingo said.