Inside Story

What is the future of the AstraZeneca vaccine?

Several countries in Europe have suspended their use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

A growing number of European countries are suspending the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine amid concerns the jab may have caused some recipients to develop blood clots.

But health agencies say there is no evidence such conditions are linked to the vaccine and they insist the benefits of getting the shot far outweigh any potential risk.

This comes as Europe is already short on vaccine supplies and struggling to contain a surge in new infections.

The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization are now investigating the possible side effects.

But as new cases surge, how will this affect Europe’s vaccination rollout?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Jeffrey Lazarus – Head of the Health Systems Research Group at Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Azeddine Ibrahimi – Head of Biotechnology Lab at the Rabat Medical School, Mohammed V University

Simon Clarke – Associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading