The trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in children has been paused for investigations into a link between the vaccine and a rare form of blood clot.

Regulators at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are investigating the link between the two after seven people have died from unusual blood clots after getting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK.

A spokesperson from the university said in a statement: “Whilst there are no safety concerns in the paediatric clinical trial, we await additional information from the MHRA on its review of rare cases of thrombosis/thrombocytopaenia that have been reported in adults, before giving any further vaccinations in the trial.

“Parents and children should continue to attend all scheduled visits and can contact the trial sites if they have any questions.”

In total, 30 people out of 18 million vaccinated by 24 March have suffered these clots.

Earlier today, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) looked “very closely” at reports of adverse reactions to the vaccines.

He told BBC Breakfast: “To put it in perspective, we have done almost 20 million vaccinations using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Both vaccines have saved something like 6,300 lives between December and the end of February, so it’s important to continue to follow what the clinicians, the scientists, the regulators tell us. And we will absolutely do exactly as they say.”

Sage adviser Professor Calum Semple urged people to continue accepting Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs after a trial in children was paused while regulators investigate a potential association between the vaccine and a rare form of blood clot.

He told Channel 4 News: “This has been done out of exceptional caution and the big story still is that for a middle-aged, slightly overweight man, such as myself, my risk of death is one in 13,000 – the risk of this rare clot, which might not even be associated with the vaccine, is probably one in a million.

“So I’m still going to say it’s better to get the vaccine than not get the vaccine and we can pause and take time to carefully consider the value for children because they’re not at risk of death from Covid.”