The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says there is currently no link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots in Ghana.
A statement by the FDA said the most commonly reported adverse effects with the vaccines are headaches, fever, chills, body pains, pain at the injection site, weakness, nausea, and dizziness.
These adverse effects are expected from the vaccination and in most cases resolved within a day or two.
Additionally, the Joint COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Review Committee on March 12, discussed reports of blood clots in some countries in Europe following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, leading to the suspension of vaccination for further investigations.
It concluded that there is currently no causal link between the event and the vaccine, a position that was subsequently upheld by the European Medicines Agency and the WHO.
Consequently, the FDA will like to reassure the public that it has been monitoring the situation locally and to date, no events of blood clots linked to the Covishield vaccine have been reported among those who have been vaccinated in the country.
The statement notes that vaccines and medicines in general, tend to have some side effects that need to be continually balanced against the expected benefits in preventing illnesses.
It said the FDA continues to work with its Committee of Experts, other regulators globally and will use its established safety monitoring system to support the vaccine programme to ensure public health and safety.
Meanwhile, the EU’s medicines regulator has said it is firmly convinced that the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab benefits outweigh its risks.
This comes after several leading EU states paused their rollouts due to reported cases of bloodclots in some recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jabs.
EU’s medicines regulator has reiterated there is no clear indication that the vaccine causes blood clots.
European Medicines Agency Head, Emer Cooke has also said the body stands by its decision to approve the vaccine.
WHO has also urged countries not to halt vaccinations adding that an investigation into cases of clots in recipients is ongoing.
