France, Italy and Germany Suspend Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine

Shots of the COVID vaccine continue to be paused over isolated reports of harmful side effects. No scientific confirmation has connected the vaccine to health issues, but many countries aren’t taking any chances.

Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria, Iceland, and Thailand have all temporarily suspended their use of the jab.

Germany

Germany on Monday halted the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine after reported blood clotting incidents in
Europe, saying that a closer look was necessary.

“After new reports of thromboses of the cerebral veins in connection with the vaccination in Germany and Europe, the PEI considers further investigations to be necessary,” said the German health ministry, referring to a recommendation by the country’s vaccine authority, the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

France and Italy follow Germany

Not long after Germany suspended the use of the vaccine, French president Emmanuel Macron followed suit and announced a similar temporary halt.

Macron announced the suspension himself which he said was taken “as a precaution” and would only be effective for 24 hours to give time to the European Medicines Agency to issue advice.

Italian regulator has confirmed it is suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine across Italy while it waits from an announcement from the European regulator. The move comes after a teacher died soon after having the jab.

Nordic countries sound alarmed

Denmark was the first country on March 11th to say it was going to suspend 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.

Bulgaria

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

AstraZeneca has said there is no cause for concern with its vaccine and that there were fewer reported thrombosis cases in those who received the shot than in the general population.

The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization have also said that available data do not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunized.