AstraZeneca Vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccines have offered a sign of hope to Americans and people all over the world! While many were nervous about the vaccines receiving the greenlight too early on, they’ve proved to be effective at slowing the spread and lowering the severity of symptoms.

FDA-Approved Coronavirus Vaccines

As of today, there are only three different Coronavirus vaccines currently approved for use in the U.S.: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

The Pizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first Coronavirus vaccine to reach approval by the FDA under the Emergency Use Authorization. Soon after, Moderna reached approval on its vaccine. The third FDA-approved vaccine was with Johnson & Johnson, who, unlike the others, developed a single-shot vaccine. With the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the shots would be administered in two doses, given two to three weeks apart, depending on which vaccine you were given.

The AstraZeneca or AZD1222 vaccine has an efficacy of 63.09% against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and has not yet been approved in the United States. It has, however, been approved in many other countries.

AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Side Effects

Dangerous blood clots are being reported by multiple people who have recently received the Coronavirus vaccine, which was developed by AstraZeneca. A vaccine regulator in Germany at the Paul Ehrlich Institute called for further investigation after seven people who received the vaccine developed blood clots in the brain. There was also one reported death from blood clots in Denmark, which is believed to be due to the vaccine.

Across the 27 countries in the European Union and Britain, there have 37 reports of blood clots from those who received this vaccine. AstraZeneca and European regulators are denying that this side effect would be caused by the solution. However, as an extra precaution, many countries have decided to temporarily suspend the use of the vaccines by AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca Vaccine Suspended Across Countries

Last week, Denmark was the first country to halt the use of AstraZeneca vaccines. Ireland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Congo, and Bulgaria followed shortly after. As of Monday, March 15, 2021, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France have joined in the suspension, as well. In these countries, there are only three vaccines that have been approved, and now, the vaccine rollout will slow down as one of the companies will be suspended.

On Thursday, March 18, 2021, the EU drug regulatory agency will be meeting with review experts regarding their findings on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Their conclusions will help decide which next steps will need to be taken.

The vaccine has already been approved in Britain and Canada. Despite these recent reports, they are continuing to stand by their early findings.

Will AstraZeneca Reach FDA Approval in the United States?

AstraZeneca is set up to apply for FDA approval any day now. One U.S. official said that the AstraZeneca could be approved for use in America as early as this coming week. Before any approvals, the FDA advisers will meet and review the reports, recent findings, and any concerns.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The Coronavirus vaccine can help lessen your chances of severe symptoms of COVID-19, however, it will not prevent you from catching the virus. You must continue to practice social distancing and wear your face mask! A KN95 respirator should be your first line of defense against Coronavirus. KN95s are readily available to the public and offer the greatest form of face protection by blocking at least 95% of particles. Click to shop our collection!

Follow the FDA website for more up-to-date COVID-19 information or for assistance finding a vaccine location near you.