AstraZeneca withdrawing its vaccine could be more dangerous than we think

The fact that AstraZeneca is withdrawing its vaccine after admitting that the vaccine could cause rare injuries should fill us all with fear and bewilderment. This could lead to life threatening repercussions in terms of vaccine hesitancy among the populace.

Vaccine hesitancy has been cited by the WHO as one of the top global health threats. It could cause deaths and increased hospitalisations, especially amongst the most vulnerable and impoverished segments of the population. To avoid devastating infectious disease outbreaks, it is crucial to identify the cause of the vaccine’s side effects and be completely transparent with public. We cannot allow one issue to further people’s hesitancy about taking vaccines; only then can we work towards a complete and holistic immunisation coverage of the population.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob