These 5 countries have all suspended AstraZeneca's vaccine over possible side effects - while 6 others have banned a specific batch of shots
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- Some countries have stopping using AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine while possible side effects are investigated.
- This follows several cases of blood clots among vaccinated people.
- There is no evidence yet that AstraZeneca's vaccine caused the clots.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Several countries have paused the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution while investigators look into cases of blood clots among vaccinated people.
Austrian authorities said Sunday that a 49-year-old woman had died as a result of severe coagulation disorder after taking the shot, and that a 35-year-old had developed blood clots in the lungs, but was recovering. Both had received vaccines from the same batch, the authorities said.
Danish authorities said Wednesday that one person who had clots after receiving the vaccine had died.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday noted one death in a person with multiple blood clots after receiving the shots, and one person who had been hospitalized from a blood clot in their lung. It didn't specifically say whether these were the same as the two incidents reported in Austria.
The EMA noted two other "thrombotic events" in people who had received the vaccines, without giving details.
The EMA said it was investigating the incidents, but that there was "no indication" the vaccine had caused them. Experts say any risks are outweighed by the shot's benefits.
The EMA said that European Economic Area, 30 cases of blood clots had been reported out of close to 5 million people vaccinated. UK experts said the proportion of vaccinated people with blood clots was no higher than in the general population.
In a statement to Insider, an AstraZeneca representative said that the safety of its vaccine had been "extensively studied" and that data showed the shot was "generally well tolerated."
Some countries have responded by pausing all use of AstraZeneca's vaccine pending an EMA investigation, while others said they would just stop use of one batch.
Denmark
Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
On Thursday, Denmark became the first country to suspend all use of AstraZeneca's vaccine.
The suspension would last at least 14 days, the country's health authority said.
One of the cases of severe blood clots was related to a death in Denmark, it said.
People who received their first dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine would have to wait for their second dose during the suspension, the authority said.
It added that if it permanently suspended AstraZeneca's vaccine, it would push back its vaccination plan by about four weeks. It would continue administering both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines, it said.
The authority said that there was good evidence the vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, was safe and effective, but that it must react to reports of possible serious side effects.
Norway
Around three hours after Denmark's announcement, Norwegian officials said they would also suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency said it would investigate whether there was a connection between AstraZeneca's vaccine and blood clots in the lung, and whether there were cases of blood clots in vaccinated people that had not yet been reported.
Norway's health authority also said it was looking into the possibility of a joint Nordic analysis into the reports.
Ritzau Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe via REUTERS
It added that the temporary suspension of AstraZeneca's vaccine would delay Norway's vaccine rollout, and said that people who had received their first dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine would have to wait for their second dose. It would continue administering both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines, it said.
Norway's health authority said that so far 121,820 people, all under the age of 65, had been given the AstraZeneca vaccine, and that these people should not be worried.
Iceland
The Financial Times first reported that Iceland had also suspended the use of the vaccine, and Kjartan Njálsson, assistant to the director of health in Iceland, told CNN that officials were awaiting advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Bulgaria
Bulgaria said Friday it was pausing use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The health ministry said the decision was based on information it had received about possible side effects and the EMA's ongoing investigation. Use of the vaccine was suspended until the EMA made an announcement, it said.
Health authorities must stop using AstraZeneca's vaccine within 24 hours, it said.
Thailand
Adam Berry/Getty Images
Thailand said Friday it had paused use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first Asian country to make the move.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand's decision was based on foreign data related to potential side effects and adverse reactions, and that authorities wanted to wait for more information. His statement did not mention the blood clots or name any countries.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and members of his government were due to receive AstraZeneca's vaccine during a ceremony Friday morning. This has now been postponed. The Financial Times reported that journalists were only told the AstraZeneca vaccine had been suspended after they arrived at the health ministry to report on the vaccinations.
Some countries are pulling a particular batch
As of Tuesday, five EU countries - Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Latvia - had suspended use of a specific batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution following the death of a vaccinated person. The batch consisted of 1 million doses that were distributed among 17 EU countries, according to the EMA.
Italy on Thursday suspended a batch, too. It wasn't clear whether Italy had suspended the same batch as the other nations.
AstraZeneca's vaccine has been granted conditional marketing authorization or emergency use in more than 50 countries, including the UK and across the European Union. It has not yet been issued emergency-use authorization in the US.
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