By Teboho Serutla
As reports escalate of more and more European countries suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, mixed feelings persist on whether Lesotho should continue using the vaccine.
Lesotho started administering the vaccine on Wednesday last week, with King Letsie III becoming the first citizen to receive the jab.
According to reports, at least 37 people of the 17 million who received the AstraZeneca vaccine across Europe developed blood clots. However, there is no evidence that the shot was responsible for the blood clots. Yet for now various health agencies are investigating if there is a casual link between the vaccine and the blood clots, some of which have been reportedly been deadly.
Al Jazeera and Reuters, report that health authorities in Denmark suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a 60-year-old woman died after receiving the vaccine. The cause of death was blood clot, according to the reports. In Italy, the suspension also came after three deaths of people who died after receiving their shots.
In Lesotho where health officials have given it the thumbs-up, the most notable critic of AstraZeneca has been politician and former government minister Joang Molapo, who has called for the vaccine to be scientifically tested before it is given to people. He based his argument on reports that South Africa had rejected the vaccine on scientific grounds alone, not over political, personal, economic or other reasons.
However, according to reports, the World Health Organizations encourages the states to carry on with the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite the emerging concerns.
