Germany, France, Italy Halts Use Of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Amid Blood Clot Concerns
Germany, France and Italy are suspending use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in order for reports of blood clots to be investigated.
The German health ministry, the Italian medicines authority and French president Emmanuel Macron said the measure was a “precaution” as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) looks into the matter.
Mr Macron added the EU regulator was expected to give guidance on Tuesday afternoon.
The countries are the latest European nations to halt administering the AstraZeneca jab amid concerns over possible links to the clots.
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford vaccine group which developed the jab, has said there is “very reassuring evidence that there is no increase in a blood clot phenomenon here in the UK, where most of the doses in Europe have been given so far”.
AstraZeneca has said there is no cause for concern.
The company said it had conducted a review covering more than 17 million people vaccinated in the EU and the UK which had shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.
Both the EMA and the UN agency World Health Organisation have said available data does not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunised.
In a statement, the German health ministry said its decision to suspend the jab was taken on the advice of national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI).
The PEI said more instances of coagulation disorders had been reported following vaccination with AstraZeneca’s shot since Thursday.
The institute noted a “conspicuous accumulation” of cases of a very rare cerebral vein thrombosis together with lack of blood platelets known as thrombocytopenia and bleeding.
The EMA said on Friday several cases of immune thrombocytopenia – a lack of platelets in the blood that can lead to bleeding and bruising – had been reported under its vaccine safety monitoring process.
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German health minister Jens Spahn said his country’s decision to stop using the vaccine was not political and while the risk of blood clots is low it cannot be ruled out.
Mr Macron said he hopes “we can resume quickly” administering the vaccine “if the EMA gives the green light”.
He added: “We are therefore suspending its use until tomorrow afternoon.”
In the US, results of an AstraZeneca trial are being reviewed to determine if the shot is safe and effective.
If the data is positive and all goes well, the US Food and Drug Administration could issue an emergency use authorisation in about a month, said director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr Francis Collins.
He said he had been “pretty reassured” by statements by European regulators that the blood clot problems could be happening by chance, and are not related to the vaccine.
On Sunday, Ireland temporarily suspended the shot “out of an abundance of caution” after reports from Norway of serious blood clotting in some recipients there.
Three health workers in Norway who recently received the AstraZeneca vaccine were being treated in hospital for bleeding, blood clots and a low count of blood platelets, its health authorities said on Saturday.
Irish authorities received some reports of clotting similar to those seen in mainland Europe last week but nothing as serious as the cases in Norway, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn.
Denmark, Norway and Iceland have also suspended the use of the vaccine over reported clotting issues.
And on Friday, Thailand became the first nation outside of Europe to do so, delaying its AstraZeneca rollout over the safety concerns in the EU.
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Authorities in Italy’s northern region of Piedmont said on Sunday they would stop using a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines after a teacher died following his vaccination on Saturday.
Austria also halted using a particular batch last week.
