Germany, France and Italy announced on Monday they would be suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after being linked with one death and dozens of reported blood clots as possible side-effects coming in from multiple countries across the bloc.
AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine
Both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have reported no causal link between the AstraZeneca and the vaccine, and the University of Oxford, who co-developed the jab with AstraZeneca, have said data shows rates of blood clots are no higher than in the general population.
Read more: Data shows "no link" between AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, Oxford claims
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been struggling to break into the EU market owing to the slow pace of vaccine rollout across the bloc.
The decision for three of the EU's largest markets to block the use of the vaccine is likely to continue to affect the pharmaceutical company's supply chains.
It is likely also a cause for concern given the slow rollout of the jabs within the bloc.
Denmark and Norway suspended the vaccine last week, with Iceland, Bulgaria, Ireland and the Netherlands announcing their suspensions a few days later.
Spain has also announced it is to stop using the vaccine for a period of 15 days, likely to allow relevant data to come forth to influence its decision.
AstraZeneca is set to hold an advisory meeting on Tuesday and the EMA are also set to convene this week to draft up a plan of action.
The WHO is also set to review the cases to determine if the claims made against AstraZeneca hold any ground.
"As soon as WHO has gained a full understanding of these events, the findings and any unlikely changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said.
Read more: Denmark suspends Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine following patient death
However, the firm has stated that applications of the vaccine should continue until any direct link between the shot and blood clots is found.
The WHO claims the positives of having the vaccination far outweigh any potential side-effects.
Germany opted to ban the vaccine because, while the risk of blood clots is low, they should not be ruled out, according to a statement released by German Health Minister Jens Spahn.
France has chosen to suspend the vaccine for two weeks, pending the EMA's assessment.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference: “The decision has been made to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution, hoping that we can resume its use quickly if the judgement of the EMA (European Medicines Agency) allows it."
Italy is halting the vaccine as a "precautionary and temporary measure" while the EMA investigates. Previously, only the provinces of Piedmont had banned the use of the vaccine and both it and Sicily have seized a batch of the vaccine following a few reported deaths.
Gianni Rezza, Director General of Prevention at Italy’s Ministry of Health said: “The EMA will meet soon to clarify any doubts so that the AstraZeneca vaccine can be resumed safely in the vaccination campaign as soon as possible."
Not all countries that have suspended the use of the vaccine have done so in its entirety.
Austria and Spain have only stopped using a particular strain of the vaccine.
The WHO continues to urge nations not to outright suspend their vaccination schemes.
The coronaviruses death toll has reached nearly 2.7 million people, with over 120 million reported cases worldwide.
The firm is concerned that the news about the vaccine could undo a lot of the recovery work, and also stand to fans the flames of vaccine hysteria.
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WHO Director-General Tedros told a press briefing that systems were in place to protect public health.
He said: “This does not necessarily mean these events are linked to COVID-19 vaccination, but it’s routine practice to investigate them, and it shows that the surveillance system works and that effective controls are in place."
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