THE country's medical regulator is set to address the nation and give an urgent public update into its investigation into the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots this afternoon.

The UK medicines regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will give an update on its investigation into whether the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is directly causing rare brain blood clots in a televised briefing at 3pm.

The briefing will be led by Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, MHRA chief executive Dr June Raine, chair of the Committee of Human Medicines Sir Munir Pirmohamed, and chair of the JCVI - which advises ministers on vaccines - Professor Wei Shen.

At the same time, the European medicines regulator is due to provide its update on the Oxford AstraZeneca jab.

Some European countries have restricted the vaccine use in younger people following reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) – a specific type of clot that prevents blood from draining from the brain, as well as low platelet counts – cells that help blood clot.

On Tuesday, April 6, it was announced that the trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in children has been paused while UK regulator investigates the CVST reports.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said people should keep getting their jabs.

Sir Keir Starmer also said people should continue to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine if invited to get a jab.

The Labour leader said it was “perfectly safe” ahead of an expected announcement by regulators today.