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COVID-19: Spain Halts Use Of AstraZeneca Vaccine

  Spain is suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for at least a fortnight, the health minister said Monday, the latest European country to … Continue reading COVID-19: Spain Halts Use Of AstraZeneca Vaccine

By Emmanuel Egobiambu
Updated March 15, 2021
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In this file photo taken on March 09, 2021 a medical worker holds a syringe and a vial of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine during a vaccination campaign at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci. Danish health authorities said on March 11, 2021 they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine as a precaution after some patients developed blood clots since receiving the jab. The move comes “following reports of serious cases of blood clots among people vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine”, the Danish Health Authority said in a statement. Miguel MEDINA / AFP
A bottle of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) is pictured on March 4, 2021 in Cairo on the first day of vaccination in Egypt. Khaled DESOUKI / AFP

 

Spain is suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for at least a fortnight, the health minister said Monday, the latest European country to do so over blood clot fears.

“We have decided to temporarily suspend (use of the AstraZeneca vaccine) as a precaution for at least the next two weeks,” Health Minister Carolina Darias told reporters just hours after Germany, France and Italy announced similar moves.

She said the decision would remain in place until the European Medicines Agency (EMA) “analyses the recent incidences of blood clots, notably over the weekend”.

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On Friday, at least five Spanish regions had said they were suspending use of a suspect batch of the vaccine as a precautionary measure.

The Amsterdam-based regulator has said it believes the British-Swedish vaccine is safe to use but will hold a special meeting on Thursday to decide on “further actions” over the jab.

 

In this file photo taken on March 12, 2021 shows empty vials of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at the UBO (Universite Bretagne Occidentale) in Brest, western France.
Fred TANNEAU / AFP

 

Earlier on Monday, Marco Cavaleri, head of EMA’s vaccines strategy, said the agency was “scrutinising all the data, particularly the fatal cases that have been reported”.

The EMA said the suspected side effects included blood clots, and in some cases “unusual features” such as low numbers of platelets — blood cells that aid clotting.

But it said such side effects had only occurred in “a very small number of people who received the vaccine.

AFP

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