Covid-19 vaccine advice is for national regulators to judge, WHO says, after UK cautions allergy sufferers to avoid jab

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is up to regulators to issue advice on the adverse effects of Covid-19 vaccines, after it was asked about the UK warning those prone to allergic reactions to steer clear of the jab.

"We have heard media reports [of adverse reactions], that is for the national authorities to look at and review," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a press briefing on Friday.

"But people should not be too anxious. Remember there are a number of vaccine candidates coming online at the same time. One vaccine may not be suitable for particular individuals, but you may well find another vaccine is."

It comes after the UK's regulator, the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, on Wednesday told Britons with a history of anaphylaxis not to be inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech.

The advice followed Britain's rollout of the US-German-developed jab a day earlier, in a move celebrated by UK government ministers, including Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who shed a tear and said it made one "proud to be British."

The Pfizer vaccine has also been given the green light in Bahrain, Canada and Saudi Arabia, and has been recommended for approval in the US by an advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration, although a formal decision is yet to be made.

There are more than 50 Covid-19 vaccines currently in trials, but the WHO has not yet issued emergency-use authorization for any.

In reviewing the candidates for approval, Harris said: "The primary thing we look at is safety."

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