Categories: Europe News

Denmark Suspends Use of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine over Blood Clots Fear

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Denmark has temporarily suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine as a precaution, after reports of a small number of blood clots and one death.

According to the Danish health authority, it was too early to say whether there was a link to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Austria earlier stopped using a batch of the drug, prompting the EU medicines agency (EMA) to say there was no indication the vaccine caused blood clots.

AstraZeneca says its safety has been studied extensively in clinical trials.

A spokesperson said: “Patient Safety is the highest priority for AstraZeneca.

“Regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.”

Covid-19: Italy Stops AstraZeneca Vaccine Export to Australia

AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Approved for EU Market

Peer-reviewed data confirmed it had been “generally well tolerated”, the statement added.

Denmark’s decision came days after Austria suspended use of a particular batch of the drug because a woman died 10 days after taking it. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxemburg have also stopped using the batch.

Danish authorities said they were pausing use of the vaccine for 14 days in what Health Minister Magnus Heunicke called a “precautionary measure”.

Although no link had been established, he said “we must respond in a timely and careful manner” until a conclusion was reached.

The decision to put the vaccine on hold in Denmark and Austria is a setback for a European vaccination campaign that has stuttered into life, partly due to delays in delivery of the AstraZeneca drug.

The Danish authority said it was not an easy decision as it was during the biggest and most important rollout in the country’s history.

The EMA said its safety committee was reviewing the Austrian case, but made clear that “there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine”.

The number of “thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population”, it added.

Kathryn R. Bown

Kathryn - Our health specialist likes to share with the readers the latest news from the field. Nobody understands better than her the relation between healthy mind and healthy body.

Recent Posts

Happy New Year 2025: Sydney Welcomes New Year with Fireworks Display

Sydney has welcomed 2025 with a spectacular fireworks display - cheers erupted as the clock struck midnight…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Reach Divorce Settlement After 8 Years

Following an eight-year legal battle, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement,…

3 days ago

Former US President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100

Former President Jimmy Carter died on December 29 at the age of 100 after spending several…

3 days ago

Georgia: Outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili Refuses to Step Down After Mikheil Kavelashvili’s Inauguration

Georgia’s outgoing president Salome Zourabichvili refused to step down on December 29, saying she was…

5 days ago

Bald Eagle Officially Designated America’s National Bird After 250 Years

The bald eagle has been officially declared the national bird of the United States, after…

1 week ago

Kazakhstan Plane Crash: Dozens Survive Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash Near Aktau Airport

Dozens of passengers have survived a crash involving a plane carrying 69 people in Kazakhstan,…

1 week ago