Denmark becomes the first country in the European Union to fall The AstraZeneca Plc vaccine from its Covid-19 vaccination program amid concerns about serious side effects.
According to the statement, the Danish health authority will ‘continue to vaccinate its vaccination program without AstraZeneca’ on Wednesday.
“There is a link between rare but serious” side effects and the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, the authority said. It listed the risk of blood clots, bleeding and a low platelet count.
Split decision
Europe does not succeed in mapping the joint rate of Astra vaccine side effects
Source: Bloomberg
In a written statement, a spokesman for AstraZeneca said: “We recognize and respect the decision” taken by the Danish Health Authority. “The implementation and implementation of the vaccination program is a matter for each country to decide on the basis of local circumstances. We will continue to work with regulators and local authorities to provide all available data to inform their decisions. ”
Mink
Denmark has defended one of the EU’s most cautious strategies in combating the pandemic since the coronavirus hit the continent more than a year ago. It was one of the first to introduce a lock and close its borders. The government then made international headlines when it wiped out Denmark’s entire mink population for fear that the animals could help spread coronavirus mutations.
Soren Brostrom, head of the Danish Health Authority, said on Wednesday that his “best estimate” based on local research indicates a 1 in 40,000 risk of getting a blood clot after an Astra shot. He also said that the higher incidence of coagulation among younger women seems to be linked to the fact that many health workers were vaccinated early on, many of whom are female.
Denmark’s ability so far to keep the virus in check has also led to the decision of the health authority, giving it the opportunity to delay its vaccination program, Brostrom said.
Meanwhile, a number of countries have already said they will approach Denmark to ask if they can buy the unused Astra shots, of which the country has about 200,000. Brostrom indicated he was open to the idea, but said Denmark would hold a few doses in case he suddenly fought an intense third wave. About a third of the existing group only has a shelf life until June, Brostrom said.
Denmark was one of the first countries to suspend the Astra vaccine on March 11 after reports of blood clots. At the time, the Danish Health Authority called the decision a precautionary measure and reiterated its view that the vaccine was ‘effective and safe’.
Both European and UK drug regulators have said they find a link between the Astra vaccine and blood clots, but the benefits still outweigh the risks. Most Western European countries have restricted their use of the company’s vaccine to the elderly, while Astra in Eastern Europe has largely been restored with no restrictions.
Denmark, Scandinavia’s neighbor, Norway, which has also kept Astra in check since last month, must announce its decision on Thursday.
Danish authorities have said that people who have already received a first Astra survey are getting their second sting from another producer, such as Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE of Moderna Inc.
Denmark’s announcement on Wednesday took a dramatic turn when the head of unit who provided much of the information behind the country’s decision, Tanja Erichsen, collapsed during her presentation. Reporters who attended the event were told she recovered quickly after suffering a brief moment of fainting.
As elsewhere, health authorities in Denmark have been working all the time to ensure that the country’s testing and vaccination facilities work efficiently.
Read more: EU requests to restrict Astra shots to people 60 in United rules
– With help from Zoe Schneeweiss and Naomi Kresge
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