Covid vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc meet UK safety standards, with the most suspicious medium and short-term side effects, according to a regulatory study.
Suspicious side effects have been reported for about three in 1,000 administered doses, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. A total of 143 deaths were reported shortly after the injection, but there is no suggestion that the vaccines were involved.
The global effort to vaccinate vulnerable people against the coronavirus has prompted an in-depth investigation into vaccine safety, with early reports of deaths following attacks of concern in Norway. The country’s health officials have said they see no evidence of a direct link to the scenes.
As in Norway, deaths following vaccinations in the UK occurred in people who were older or had underlying medical conditions, the MHRA said.
Most of the reported side effects show a normal immune response, although 75 reports of a facial paralysis condition called Bell’s Palsy are being monitored, the group said.
“The safety profile of the vaccines remains positive and the benefits far outweigh the known side effects,” the MHRA said in a statement.
With more than 10 million doses administered, the UK is ahead of its neighbors in the European Union. The study included an injection through Jan. 24.
This story was published from a wire group group with no text changes. Only the headline has changed.