Il Messaggero: EMA-Poss Link Btwn AZ Vaccine & Blood Clots

Wires and social media reporting headline from Italy's Il Messaggero saying that the EMA has highlighted that women under the age of 50 may be at some risk of a blood clotting issue due to the AstraZeneca/Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine.

• The headline comes when Channel 4 News claims that the UK's regulatory agency is said to be considering advising against the use of the AZ vaccine among younger people, although this has yet to be confirmed.
• A halt to the use of the AZ vaccine among under 30s or even under 50s may not hold up the UK's vaccination programme too much. For the month of April, the NHS is already halting the sending of invites to those under the age of 50 for their first doses, to ensure there is sufficient supply to give second doses to those who were vaccinated earlier in the year.
• By the time invites begin to be sent out en masse to younger people from May onwards, the UK is expected to be receiving doses of the Moderna vaccine, which could be prioritised for use among those that cannot receive the AZ jab. This could be accelerated if the MHRA approves the J&J and/or Novavax vaccines for use by then.