Brazil permits full approval to Oxford vaccine

Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) on Friday approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, voicing confidence in it even as a raft of countries suspended its use.

Anvisa said it saw no health risk for the population associated with the use of this vaccine. As a result, they upgraded it from emergency use to full regulatory approval.

The decision came despite the fact that countries including Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria and Thailand have suspended the use of the vaccine as a precaution after reports of recipients developing blood clots.

On Friday, the European Medicines Agency said that ‘severe allergies’ should be added to the vaccine’s side effects warning.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) considered it as an ‘excellent vaccine’ and insisted not to stop using it.

Anvisa also approved the antiviral medication remdesivir for use against COVID-19, despite the WHO finding it has little or no effect on mortality from the disease.

Around 9.3 million people have received the first dose of vaccine in Brazil, and around 3.3 million people received the second.

ARR