Germany has announced to suspend AstraZeneca COVID vaccine for residents below 60 amid recent reports of unusual blood clots in vaccinated people, AP News reported.
AstraZeneca COVID vaccine suspended in Germany
This decision was taken after officials in Berlin’s medical regulator had received a total of 31 reports of rare blood clots in people who recently had doses of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Among those people, nine died. And except two of the incidents all reported women aged 20 to 63, according to the Paul Ehrlich Institute. The two males were 36 and 57 years old.
As the cases of sinus vein thrombosis, a rare kind of blood clot emerged, several European countries temporarily suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine usage in early March. But after the medical experts reviewed, the European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine to continue.
Meanwhile, the agency had suggested that patients and doctors should be warned about potential rare side effects. Germany and other European Union countries had then resumed using the vaccine.
On Monday, Canada halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people below 55 after noticing the latest data from Europe.
“There is substantial uncertainty about the benefit of providing AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to adults under 55 given the potential risks,” said Dr. Shelley Deeks, vice-chair of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
High risk of blood clots
According to Deeks, the latest recommendations emerged as new data from Europe indicated the high risk of blood clots. It is relatively higher than the one in one million risks cited earlier.
Earlier Tuesday, two hospitals in Berlin announced halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to female staff members under 55. Whereas, five university hospitals in western Germany temporarily suspended the vaccine usage to all young women amid blood clot issues.
Kalayci, the Berlin state health minister said, “We have not had a case of serious side effects in Berlin yet.”
She continued that those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine doses could rest assured that it protects better against the coronavirus.
“Still, we need to treat it carefully and wait for the talks taking place at the federal level,” said Kalayci.
Almost 2.7 million jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered across Germany so far.
