Coronavirus: Netherlands suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine due to possible side effects

THE HAGUE.- The Netherlands today announced the suspension of use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine as a precaution until March 28. The move comes after “possible side effects” were reported in Denmark and Norway.

“Based on new information, the Dutch Medicines Authority has advised, as a precautionary measure and pending further investigation, to suspend administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” the health ministry said in a reproduced statement. by the AFP agency.

In this way, the Netherlands joins Ireland, the latest to announce the suspension of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, Iceland and Thailand. .

Norway, like Iceland or Denmark, announced on Thursday that it was suspending use of the vaccine AstraZeneca, also as a “precaution”, due to concerns about blood clots forming in people vaccinated with the immunizer.

Despite the decision of several countries to suspend the use of inoculation as a precautionary measure, Pharmaceutical AstraZeneca said today that “there is no evidence” that it causes an increased risk of blood clots.

The company made the statement after conducting a “thorough review” of the data available on people who have received the vaccine in the UK and the European Union (EU).

“Some 17 million people in the EU and UK have already received our vaccine and the number of reported clots in this group is lower than the average one would expect in the general population.”, explained the pharmacist through a declaration signed by her medical chief, Ann Taylor.

“The nature of the pandemic has increased attention to individual cases. We go beyond the usual safety practices of tracking authorized drugs on vaccine incident cases to ensure public safetyTaylor added.

In this context, The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday: “There is no reason not to use the AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus.”

AFP and DPA agency

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