BERLIN (AP) – Sweden became the last country to discontinue use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday as European regulators review safety data following reports of dangerous blood clots in some recipients.
However, the company and international regulators continue to say the vaccine is safe, and many countries around the world are continuing their vaccination campaigns.
The European Medicines Agency plans to meet on Thursday to discuss expert findings on the vaccine and decide whether action should be taken. The agency has said so far that the benefits of receiving the injection outweigh the risk of side effects.
The Swedish Public Health Agency said on Tuesday it would suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine pending the results of the EMA meeting. Germany, France, Italy and Spain were among the countries that suspended use of the vaccine on Monday.
“The decision is a precautionary measure,” Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, said in a statement.
Also on Tuesday, the German government said it would delay until after the meeting of the EMA, a virtual summit of state governors convened to review the country’s vaccination efforts. The summit was scheduled for Wednesday,
The AstraZeneca vaccine is one of three vaccines approved for use on the European continent. But growing concerns about the shot have created another setback for the European Union’s vaccination campaign, which has been plagued by shortages and other hurdles and is lagging far behind efforts in Britain and the US.
AstraZeneca said there is no evidence that the vaccine poses an increased risk of blood clots. There have been 37 reports of blood clots among the more than 17 million people who have received the vaccine in the EU and Great Britain, the company said.
“This is much lower than would naturally be expected in a general population of this size and is comparable to other approved COVID-19 vaccines,” AstraZeneca said.
Much of Asia has thrown off concerns about the AstraZeneca shot, with Thailand’s prime minister being given a chance on Tuesday as the country began rolling out the vaccine.
“There are people who are concerned,” Prayuth Chan-ocha said after his vaccination. “But we have to believe doctors, believe in our medical professionals.”
Thailand was the first country outside of Europe to temporarily stop the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. But health authorities decided to go ahead later, with Prayuth and members of his cabinet getting the first shots.
Indonesia suspended use of the vaccine on Monday, saying it was waiting for a full report from the World Health Organization on possible side effects.
AP reporters around the world contributed to this report.
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