Fact check: does the AstraZeneca jab cause more blood clots?

Germany, Italy, and France have this afternoon become the latest European countries to temporarily suspend use of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. It comes after the Dutch government said on Sunday the jab would not be used until at least 29 March, while Ireland said earlier in the day that it had temporarily suspended the shot as a precautionary step. In total that makes 11 countries including Denmark, Norway and Iceland who have suspended use over fears the vaccine causes blood clots.

So should we be worried about the Oxford jab? Given the level of expertise supporting this vaccination, the answer is: no. The World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have all made it clear there is no link between the vaccine and blood clotting. A handful of cases have been identified across Europe but the EMA has stressed that there is ‘currently no indication that vaccination caused these conditions’ — adding that the jab’s benefits continue to outweigh the risks.