UK premier says will have AstraZeneca vaccine 'shortly'

LONDON

British prime minister Wednesday said he would receive a shot of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine “shortly”.

Responding to questions from lawmakers in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson said he was pleased to know that he will be having the jab.

Johnson’s revelation came amid discussions over the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as many European countries have temporarily banned its use due to concerns that it may be causing blood clots.

The prime minister was responding to Conservative MP Steve Brian’s question on why some EU states have abandoned the scientific evidence in relation to the ban.

Many countries across the continent have suspended use of the vaccine while they seek further clarification on its safety.

Denmark is the first country to pause the vaccine and it was followed by Norway and Iceland.

France, Germany, Spain and Italy are also among the countries to suspend the rollout of the same vaccine, and said they would wait for the result of an investigation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, on the other hand, said they would continue using the vaccine.

The WHO said there is no evidence that the clots were linked to the vaccine, urging all countries not to stop their vaccination programs.