Benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh risks, asserts SFDA

Benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh risks, asserts SFDA

RIYADH — Dr. Abdullah Al-Asiri, assistant deputy minister of health for preventive health, reassured the Saudi society that no confirmed cases of platelet deficiency and blood clotting associated presumably with COVID-19 vaccines have so far been registered in the Kingdom.Dr. Al-Asiri, who is also a consultant in infectious diseases, emphasized that not every stroke after receiving vaccine shots is due to vaccination. “Thanks to God, vaccines are saving lives every day.”In a statement on his Twitter account, the deputy minister expressed surprise over the rumors regarding some side effects of the vaccine, exclaiming “how a wrong conclusion drawn from a generalization has become the most circulated news!” Pointing to the benefits of vaccination, Dr. Al-Asiri observed: “Members of my family, including parents, siblings, and children, have received the first dose of AstraZeneca and are looking forward to having the second dose soon.”Meanwhile, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has assured that the benefits of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine outweigh the potential risks according to the approved medical claims. The