UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson got his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Friday, his office said in a statement, part of a push to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe and effective, CNBC reported.

Johnson, 56, has urged other people to get inoculated against Covid-19, citing data from the UK’s independent drug regulator that shows the benefits far outweigh the risks.

A flurry of countries around the world suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution following reports of blood clots in some vaccinated people.

Speaking at a Downing Street conference on Thursday, Johnson said the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was safe, but “the thing that isn’t safe is catching Covid, which is why it is so important that we all get our jabs as soon as our turn comes.”

The UK leader was himself treated in hospital for Covid last April and spent days in an intensive care unit.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/19/astrazeneca-britains-boris-johnson-urges-others-to-get-covid-vaccine.html