European countries suspend AstraZeneca vaccinations despite advice from EU medicines regulator
From CNN’s Mick Krever and Eliza Mackintosh in London
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge arrives at the Binnenhof for the weekly Council of Ministers meeting in The Hague on March 5. Koen van Weel/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
The Netherlands on Sunday became the latest European nation to suspend AstraZeneca vaccinations over blood clot concerns despite advice from the European Union s medicines regulator that the benefits of the shot outweigh any potential risks.
Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria and Ireland have also halted the vaccinations.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said on Monday that a “rare combination” of blood clots and lowered blood platelets in several AstraZeneca vaccine recipients in Norway and Denmark was “enough reason” to pause use of the vaccine in the Netherlands for two weeks.
As AstraZeneca prepares to submit its COVID-19 vaccine for U.S. authorization, reports of blood clots in several recipients have prompted several European countries to suspend its use. The World Health Organization has said the vaccine is not linked to increased risk for blood clots; a European agency is investigating.
Netherlands suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.