Published May 7, 2021, 1:42 PM The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Friday, May 7, the official resumption of using the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in the country. This file photo taken on November 23, 2020 shows an illustration picture of a syringe and a bottle reading “Covid-19 Vaccine” next to AstraZeneca company and University of Oxford logos. (AFP/ MANILA BULLETIN) Last April 8, the DOH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccines for individuals below 60 years old, following reports of rare cases of Vaccine-Induced Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia (VITT) in some countries. “After discussions with the DOH All Experts Group and the Philippine College of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (PCHTM), it was concluded that there are currently no known risk factors for VITT and that the benefits of receiving the vaccine against COVID-19 still outweighs the risk. However, specific guidelines and measures will still be enforced so that the risks can be mitigated,” the DOH said in a statement.