Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday stopped using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of some patients who developed blood clots after receiving the injection, according to Reuters.
Danish authorities suspended the vaccine for two weeks after a 60-year-old woman who received the injection developed a blood clot and died.
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She was reportedly given an injection of the same batch of vaccine used in Austria, where authorities announced on Monday that they would stop using the batch doses after the death of a nurse who developed blood clotting problems days after being vaccinated. A second woman who received the vaccine from the batch was also hospitalized after developing pulmonary embolism and is recovering.
“It is currently not possible to conclude whether there is a link. We [are acting] early, it needs to be thoroughly investigated, ”said Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke in Twitter.
Iceland and Norway followed suit on Thursday, with an investigation of the reports being conducted by the European drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia have also suspended vaccinations of the batch.
Italy also said it would suspend the use of a different batch than that used in Austria.
Although the incidents have prompted European countries to take precautions, health officials say the evidence suggesting that the vaccine should not be administered is sparse.
“Currently, there is no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine,” said EMA in a demonstration.
“The position of the EMA PRAC safety committee is that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigating cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.”
AstraZeneca said the safety of its vaccine has been studied extensively in clinical trials and has met the strict standards of efficacy and safety required by regulators.
The vaccine has not yet received emergency use authorization in the U.S.
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