COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Danish officials decided on Thursday to extend their suspension of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by three weeks as they continue to evaluate a possible link to blood clots, even though European regulators have Union that investigated the matter approved the vaccine for use.
Denmark’s decision “was made on the basis of suspected adverse reactions,” said Tanja Erichsen, acting director of pharmacovigilance at the Danish Medicines Agency, at a news conference.
“It cannot be ruled out that there is a link between the vaccine and the very rare cases of blood clots,” she said.
Denmark stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution on March 11 after reports that a 60-year-old woman died of blood clots in various parts of her body a week after receiving the vaccine, according to health officials.
The death of a second person in Denmark who died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine has been reported. Danish health authorities said they have no evidence that the vaccine was responsible for either death.
“I would like to emphasize that I am not talking about common blood clots,” said Erichsen. “It’s not about blood clots in the arms, legs and lungs.”
The break will last at least until April 18. Norway and Sweden have also suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine. Most European countries that had put the vaccine on hold have resumed dosing after the European Medicines Agency said it was safe last week.
The Swedish public health authority on Thursday said it would resume AstraZeneca shots to people over the age of 65, but it recommends keeping them on hold for other age groups pending additional data. Sweden suspended the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 16.
“The vaccine is very useful for the elderly, as many get seriously ill from COVID-19 every day,” said Johan Carlson, the director of the Swedish office. “At the same time, we have not seen a risk of these rare and serious side effects in the elderly. That is why we cancel the break for people over 65. ”
Health officials in neighboring Finland said late on Wednesday that the country would resume the AstraZeneca vaccine after a break of more than a week on Monday, but would only administer it to people over 65.
The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was suspended in Finland last Friday after blood clots in the brain were found in two people who received the injection.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, more than 1 million doses of different vaccines have been administered in Denmark, which has nearly 6 million inhabitants. The vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna account for most of the injections given in the Scandinavian country, and about 150,000 people in Denmark have received an injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Many may wonder if we are being too careful. To that I will say, “You could say that” we added extra precautionary principles, “said Soeren Brostroem, director of the Danish health authority.
Brostroem said that when and if Denmark resumes the AstraZeneca vaccine, people will have the option to refuse the vaccine from the Anglo-Swedish drug manufacturer.
“You can wait and get another one,” he said. Denmark also uses Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The European Medicines Agency has said that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks and that the vaccine can be administered while a closer evaluation of blood clot cases continues.
“At present, we believe that our basis for making a final decision on AstraZeneca’s continued use of the COVID-19 vaccine is too uncertain,” said Brostroem. “Many studies have started, but we have no conclusions yet. That’s why we decided to extend the break.”
Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Finland contributed to this report