Misconceptions over AstraZeneca jab safety could drive global vaccine divisions, experts warn

Lingering concerns around jab could also impact uptake in countries that are already short on vaccine supplies, finds Samuel Lovett

Regulators have insisted that the benefits of the vaccine in protecting against Covid-19 outweigh its risks (AFP via Getty)

Misconceptions around the safety of the AstraZeneca jab could help fuel a vaccine divide between richer and poorer countries, experts have said.

According to UK data, one in 250,000 people are expected to develop a type of blood clot that has been linked to the vaccine. The risk of death from this rare side effect, at one in a million, is far lower than that of dying from the coronavirus.

Regulators across Europe have insisted that the benefits of the vaccine in protecting against Covid-19 vastly outweigh its risks. Some, including Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, have chosen to limit use of the jab to certain age groups.