Trust in AstraZeneca’s Covid jab falls across the EU after leaders halted the rollout last week amid blood clot fears
- Confidence in AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has plunged across Europe
- European leaders paused rollout of jab last week over fears it caused blood clots
- European Medicines Agency said vaccine was not associated with clotting risk
Confidence in Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has plunged across Europe, polls show.
European leaders paused the rollout of the jab last week over fears it caused blood clots.
The European Medicines Agency later said the vaccine was not associated with a higher clotting risk.
Polls have shown confidence in Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has plunged across Europe. Pictured: Stock
Nevertheless, more people in France (61 per cent), Germany (55 per cent) and Italy (43 per cent) now believe the jab is unsafe, according to YouGov.
In France, this was a jump of 18 points since February, while in Italy it was a mammoth 27-point rise.
Faith in the vaccine in the UK was dented less but still fell. Nine per cent of people said the jab was unsafe, a jump of four points.
But more than three quarters of Britons still say both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs are safe.
More than three quarters of Britons still say both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs are safe. Picture: Stock
The changes are compared with a survey in late February which showed Europeans were more already sceptical of the AstraZeneca jab.
Several European countries had said the shot should be given only to under 65s because of a lack of trial data.
YouGov lead data journalist Matt Smith said the European leaders’ concerns over the vaccine undoubtedly damaged its reputation.
He said: ‘Not only have we seen considerable rises in those who consider it unsafe in the last two weeks in Europe, the AstraZeneca vaccine continues to be seen as substantially less safe than its Pfizer and Moderna counterparts.
‘With a third wave of infections potentially emerging now across the Channel, officials everywhere will be worried if ongoing rows about AstraZeneca’s vaccine ends up damaging the rollout.’
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