Government pandemic advisor says risk from AstraZeneca vaccine is negligible

Professor Sotiris Tsiodras, infectious disease expert and the government’s chief advisor in handling the coronavirus pandemic, said on Tuesday that the risk of thrombosis by the AstraZeneca vaccine was negligible.

In a lecture given to the Athens Academy, Tsiodras said that the risk of thrombosis in a coronavirus patient is approximately 1 in 64, while the risk in those vaccinated with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical’s vaccine is only 1 in 100,000.

“We are not against pharma-vigilance and targeted research, but we must mention the huge comparative advantage of vaccination,” he said at the lecture.

Tsiodras also warned that the coronavirus has been increasingly infecting a younger age bracket, those aged 20-50, and stressed the importance of maintaining hygiene measures until the vaccination drive has been complete.