Citing 'blood clots', several European countries suspend AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

After reports of over 20 cases of 'blood clots' in patients, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have all temporarily suspended the use of pharma giant AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. AFP reported that 22 cases of blood clots, or "thromboembolic events", had been reported in the European Economic Area, citing European Medicines Agency (EMA), adding that Austria had suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines after a 49-year-old nurse died of "severe blood coagulation problems" days after receiving an anti-COVID shot.

However, AstraZeneca told the news agency that "the safety of the vaccine has been extensively studied in phase III clinical trials and peer-reviewed data confirms the vaccine has been generally well tolerated". Denmark health authorities had also made it clear that the move was precautionary and that there was a link yet to be found "between the vaccine and the blood clots".

The EMA had approved COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The EU has struggled to quickly roll out shots and immunize its most vulnerable citizens. It ranks far behind countries including Israel, Britain, Chile and the US.

Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases last week, an increase of 9 per cent from the previous week and a reversal that ended a six-week decline in new infections. The World Health Organisation's European office blamed that surge partly on virus variants, including one first identified in Britain that is thought to be 50 per cent more transmissible.