'Everyone should take the vaccine when they are offered it': Gething reassures public over Oxford vaccine safety fears
Watch ITV Wales' video report by James Crichton-Smith
Health Minister Vaughan Gething has urged people in Wales to have their coronavirus vaccine after the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab was suspended in some European countries over safety fears.
A number of countries, including France and Germany, have paused their rollout of the Oxford vaccine over fears it could cause blood clots.
But there has been no confirmation that any reported blood clots were caused by the vaccine.
Speaking at Wednesday's coronavirus briefing, the health minister said the evidence does not show a "material risk of blood clots" as a result of having the Oxford jab.
He said: ''The independent regulator, the MHRA, is clear that there has been no confirmation the reports of blood clots were caused by the vaccine.
''AstraZeneca’s review of all its safety data from some 17m vaccines administered across the UK and the EU has shown no increased risk of blood clots.''
Mr Gething said it was ''important people listen to the evidence'' and think of the greater risk catching the virus poses.
''We know that not having a vaccine leaves people vulnerable to the very real harm that coronavirus causes, including a much higher risk of having a damaging blood clot, the much higher risk of needing hospital treatment, of suffering long-term internal organ damage, the greater risk of actually losing your life.''
Dr Dai Samuel, who is a consultant hepatologist, said there wasn't a ''shred of evidence'' that the vaccine is linked to an increase in blood clots.
''If you look at the evidence, actually less clots occurred in this group than expected in the population compared to the other vaccine,'' he said.
''I've advised two patients who had questions over this vaccine to go get their second vaccine because actually the risk of Covid and the harm that can cause far outweigh any theoretical risk that are being bandied about.''
Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed on Wednesday that he would receive the Oxford jab ''very shortly.''
Speaking in the House of Commons he told MPs: "The best thing I can say about the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine programme is I have finally got news that I'm going to have my own jab very shortly."
In Wales, the total number of people who have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine now stands at 1,157,251.
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