AstraZeneca vaccines (FOI)

Request

Please advise why Jersey contiunued to administer the  AstraZeneca vaccine to residents after 12 March 2021 when 15 other countries had completely stopped using it?

Response

Medicines, including vaccines, which are used in Jersey are obtained via the UK supply chain. Therefore, all medicines used will have been subject to the rigorous regulatory requirements of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), who are responsible for ensuring medicines meet applicable standards of safety, quality and efficacy. In addition, vaccines are used in Jersey in accordance with recommendations by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). This information can be found in the public domain.

March 2021 was at the height of the COVID pandemic and vaccine supplies were limited, with AstraZeneca being used extensively in the UK and Jersey during the primary vaccination campaign.