The chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital is endorsing the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Wassim Saad is giving the endorsement as concerns have been raised over the safety of that particular vaccine.
On Monday, all provinces and territories suspended the use of the vaccine for anyone under 55, pending the results of further study into a possible link to rare blood clots in some patients in Europe.
Dr. Saad told AM800's The Morning Drive that the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations is trying to be as safe as possible by reviewing data and making the appropriate recommendations.
But he stresses this is "an extremely rare blood clotting disorder."
"There have been 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca administered to patients here in Canada and not a single case has been reported," he says.
Saad says that his mother had concerns about the vaccine but her encouraged her to get it.
"She went to a local pharmacy and received the AstraZeneca vaccine because she's in the age group. I'm not making a recommendation to anyone that I wouldn't make to my own family," he says. "If you are in that age group and you're offered that vaccine, it's perfectly safe to go and get that vaccine. The risk of that clot is much, much lower than the risk of you getting COVID or getting a severe infection and being in an ICU dying from COVID."
Anyone who has already received an AstraZeneca shot is being advised to look for symptoms in the first three weeks.