Health Canada Gives Update on AstraZeneca and Covishield Vaccines

By Stephen Nakrosis

Health Canada on Wednesday said it was offering an update to Canadians and healthcare professionals on its ongoing safety review of rare events of blood clots following immunization with the AstraZeneca and Covishield Covid-19 vaccines.

Health Canada said after a thorough, independent assessment of currently available data, it concluded "these very rare events may be linked to use of the vaccine," adding "this is in line with the findings of other regulators."

Health Canada said it updated the AstraZeneca and Covishield vaccine labeling information to inform about these possible side effects as well as to provide information about when to seek medical attention.

Health Canada also said, based on a review of data from Europe and the U.K. and AstraZeneca, no specific risk factors have been identified, adding it isn't restricting the use of the vaccine at this time.

Health Canada said its position is "that the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine meets its strict safety standards remains valid, and the department is adjusting the product's labeling to reflect the available scientific evidence."

AstraZeneca received authorization in Canada to manufacture its ChAdOx1-S Covid-19 vaccine under the brand name AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine and Verity Pharmaceuticals and Serum Institute of India, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, was authorized to manufacture the vaccine under the brand name Covishield Vaccine.

AstraZeneca didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Write to Stephen Nakrosis at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 14, 2021 12:32 ET (16:32 GMT)

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