NICOLA Sturgeon has said she will take the coronavirus vaccine “without hesitation” when she is invited, despite some European countries pausing the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jag.
Speaking at yesterday’s daily briefing, the First Minister said there had been “no current evidence” linking the inoculation to blood clots, after a number of countries suspended its use. Germany, France and Italy have now paused injections of the vaccine amid concerns about blood clots in those who have had the shot. The Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria, Iceland and Thailand had already temporarily suspended their use of the jag.
Chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith added that findings in the UK showed people given the vaccine in the UK were actually less likely to get a blood clot.
Sturgeon said: “In the UK, the decision to suspend use of the vaccine is a matter for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
“The MHRA has confirmed to us that there is no current evidence of an increase in blood clots being caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The MHRA is continuing to monitor this carefully and remains in regular contact with other regulators.
“There is, however, significant and growing evidence of the benefits of vaccination reducing death, illness and we hope now reducing transmission as well. For all these reasons and based on the advice and opinion of the MHRA, I’d continue to urge people to come forward for vaccination including with the AstraZeneca vaccine when you are invited to do so.”
She added: “I personally am in the age group that will be vaccinated before mid-April, so I’m hoping to see my blue envelope appear at some point over the next couple of weeks.
“As soon as I get that invitation to go to be vaccinated, I will be there without hesitation, regardless of which of the vaccines I have been offered and I would urge anybody who is getting the invitation to come and be vaccinated, to get vaccinated.”
Scotland had recorded 456 positive coronavirus tests in the previous 24 hours, the First Minister announced, bringing the case total to 210,008.
The daily test positivity rate was 4.7%, up from 3.3% the previous day.
There were 447 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 14 in 24 hours, and 40 patients were in intensive care. No new deaths were recorded, meaning the death toll under this measure remained at 7510.
She added that 1,908,991 people had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 161,945 received their second dose.
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