Belgian health minister says "no doubt" AstraZenca is a "good vaccine"
From CNN's James Frater
Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke in Brussels, Belgium, on February 26. Isopix/Shutterstock
Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke sought to reassure the country about the AstraZeneca vaccine, following a decision to temporarily pause administering it to those aged 18 to 55.
“There is no doubt about that it is a good vaccine. It protects against the disease,” he said. But he cautioned that it does have side effects, “like any vaccine.”
The decision by Belgium to suspend using AstraZeneca came after a finding by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that there was a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca vaccine and “very rare cases of blood clots” but that the benefits of the vaccine continue to out weigh the risks.