Countries Suspending AstraZeneca Vaccine Use

A growing list of countries has suspended AstraZeneca’s Covid-19
shots amid fears over blood clots and other possible side effects,
despite the company and the World Health Organization insisting
there is no risk.

Here’s a recap:

– Suspending batches –
Austria announced on March 8 that it had stopped administering a
batch of the vaccine following the death of a 49-year-old nurse
from “severe bleeding disorders” days after receiving it.

Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Luxembourg also suspended the use
of doses from the same batch, which has been delivered to 17
countries and included one million vaccines.

Italy’s medicines regulator on March 11 also banned the use of a
batch as a precaution, triggering a similar decision from
Romania.

And on March 14 Italy’s northern Piedmont region suspended use
of the vaccine after the death of a teacher who had received it the
day before.

– Nordic countries sound alarm –
Denmark was the first Nordic country on March 11 to say it will
suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precautionary
measure over fears of blood clots in vaccinated people.

Iceland and Norway followed the same day, temporarily suspending
use of all their supply of the vaccine citing similar concerns.

AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company which developed the
vaccine with Oxford University, defended the safety of its
product.

– Growing list –
Bulgaria suspended the use of the vaccine on March 12 as it
investigated the death of a woman with several underlying
conditions who received the jab in the past week.

An initial probe suggested the woman died from heart failure and
an autopsy found no link with the vaccination.

Thailand abruptly delayed the start of its rollout of the
vaccine the same day, joined by the Democratic Republic of
Congo.

On Saturday Norwegian health officials reported three more cases
of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received
the jab, but say they can not yet say they were
vaccine-related.

The next day Ireland and the Netherlands joined the list of
countries temporarily deferring the use of the vaccine.

A growing list of countries has suspended AstraZeneca’s Covid-19
shots amid fears over blood clots and other possible side effects,
despite the company and the World Health Organization insisting
there is no risk.

Here’s a recap:

– Suspending batches –
Austria announced on March 8 that it had stopped administering a
batch of the vaccine following the death of a 49-year-old nurse
from “severe bleeding disorders” days after receiving it.

Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Luxembourg also suspended the use
of doses from the same batch, which has been delivered to 17
countries and included one million vaccines.

Italy’s medicines regulator on March 11 also banned the use of a
batch as a precaution, triggering a similar decision from
Romania.

And on March 14 Italy’s northern Piedmont region suspended use
of the vaccine after the death of a teacher who had received it the
day before.

– Nordic countries sound alarm –
Denmark was the first Nordic country on March 11 to say it will
suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precautionary
measure over fears of blood clots in vaccinated people.

Iceland and Norway followed the same day, temporarily suspending
use of all their supply of the vaccine citing similar concerns.

AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company which developed the
vaccine with Oxford University, defended the safety of its
product.

– Growing list –
Bulgaria suspended the use of the vaccine on March 12 as it
investigated the death of a woman with several underlying
conditions who received the jab in the past week.

An initial probe suggested the woman died from heart failure and
an autopsy found no link with the vaccination.

Thailand abruptly delayed the start of its rollout of the
vaccine the same day, joined by the Democratic Republic of
Congo.

On Saturday Norwegian health officials reported three more cases
of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received
the jab, but say they can not yet say they were
vaccine-related.

The next day Ireland and the Netherlands joined the list of
countries temporarily deferring the use of the vaccine.