BERLIN (AP) – Officials in several European countries on Friday pushed back against others’ decisions to suspend the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine following sporadic reports of blood clots, despite a lack of evidence responsible for the shot.
German health minister Jens Spahn said that although the country was taking ‘very, very serious’ reports of possible harmful effects of vaccines, the European Medicines Agency as well as Germany’s own vaccine monitoring body said they had no evidence had some of the increase in dangerous blood clots associated with the shots.
“I regret that some countries in the European Union have suspended vaccinations with AstraZeneca since Friday morning,” Spahn told reporters in Berlin.
Denmark was the first to strike temporarily use of the AstraZeneca vaccine Thursday after reports of blood clots in some people. The health authority of the Nordic country said the decision was “based on a precautionary principle” and that one person who had a blood clot after vaccination had died.
Norway, Iceland and Bulgaria followed suit and suspended the use of the Anglo-Swedish company’s vaccine, which was developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford.
“Until all doubts are removed and experts guarantee that it poses no risk to humans, we will stop vaccinating with the vaccine,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said at a cabinet meeting. He said the suspension would last until the European Medicines Agency issued a written statement that it was safe.
The regulator said it was investigating the reports but that the vaccinations should continue in the meantime.
Thailand and Congo also delayed the use of the vaccine, pending an investigation, while Italy and Romania stopped using shots from one specific group. Austria has also stopped using doses from a single but different group.
The decision follows the death of blood clots from a 49-year-old ten days after she was vaccinated, and the hospitalization of a 35-year-old woman. Experts have concluded that there is no complication associated with the vaccine, and the Chancellor of Austria said on Friday that he himself would be willing to take the chance “to show that I have confidence in this vaccine.”
“Experts here have a clear opinion and this vaccine is used in many countries around the world, and it has been used by millions upon millions,” Sebastian Kurz said.
In fact, almost every country that has issued a suspension has admitted that it has no evidence that the vaccine caused the blood clots. Health experts have pointed out that those who are likely to receive COVID-19 vaccinations are also likely to have other health problems, which may increase the risk of blood clots.
France, Poland and Nigeria, meanwhile, have said they will continue to use the AstraZeneca shot, even if national regulators investigate.
“At this stage, the benefit of vaccination is outweighed by the risk,” said French Health Minister Olivier Veran.
The suspensions were the latest issue for AstraZeneca, which had a public discussion with the European Union earlier this year due to supply delays, and which also raised concerns about its effectiveness in older adults. While EU regulators have approved it for all adults, some countries have introduced age restrictions – although many are now lifting it. The difficulty also comes because many EU countries have struggled to catch up quickly vaccinations.
Despite the bumpy rollout, the vaccine is expected to continue to be critical to the global vaccination program, as it can be stored cheaper and easier than many others – and because the global vaccine initiative to poorer countries, known as COVAX, is strong the vaccine is dependent.
Italy’s precautionary ban was ‘serious adverse events’. It did not expand, but Italian media reported that at least two suspected deaths of military and law enforcement officers were being investigated.
The union, which represents members of the Italian air force, confirmed that one of its members had died and asked the government for further explanation.
The ban on Italy is affecting many 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca delivered across the country.
The European Medicines Agency, which approved the shot in January for use in the 27 countries EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, said ‘the benefits of the vaccine still outweigh the risks and the vaccine can still be administered’ , while a closer evaluation of the blood clot cases continues.
“There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions,” the regulator said Thursday. It said that the number of people with blood clots in vaccinated was not higher than those who were not vaccinated.
The World Health Organization said the same, but added that it would review the reports, although it did not expect any changes to the recommendations based on current evidence.
The British medical regulator also said he had not received any reports of blood clots in people caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine. More than 11 million doses of AstraZeneca have been administered in the UK
“Reports of blood clots received so far do not exceed the number that would naturally occur in the vaccinated population,” the agency said.
However, the EU Drug Regulator has stated separately that the product information for the AstraZeneca vaccine needs to be updated to note that cases of severe allergic reactions have been reported.
The proposed update is based on a review of 41 cases of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions, identified among 5 million people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Amsterdam agency said in a statement on Friday that it had concluded that “in at least some cases there was probably a link to the vaccine.”
Such allergic reactions are a rare side effect of numerous vaccines and have been reported for other COVID-19 shots, including the one made by Pfizer and BioNTech.
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Associated Press journalists in Africa, Asia and Europe contributed to this report.
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