Denmark has become the first country in the European Union to fall AstraZeneca Plc vaccine from its Covid-19 inoculation program amid concerns about serious side effects.
The Danish Health Authority “will continue the vaccination program without AstraZeneca,” according to a statement on Wednesday.
“There is a link between the rare but serious side effects” and the Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca, the authority said. It listed the risk of blood clots, bleeding, and low platelet counts.
Fractional decision
Europe does not present a concerted course on the side effects of the Astra vaccine
Source: Bloomberg
In a written statement, an AstraZeneca spokesman said: “We recognize and respect the decision” taken by the Danish Health Authority. “The implementation and deployment of the vaccine program is an issue that must be decided by each country, depending on local conditions. We will continue to work with regulators and local authorities to provide all available data to inform their decisions. “
Mink
Denmark has defended one of the EU’s most prudent strategies in the fight against the pandemic since the coronavirus hit the continent more than a year ago. He was one of the first to impose a closure and close its borders. The government made international headlines when it wiped out the entire population of minks in Denmark for fear that the animals might help spread coronavirus mutations.
Soren Brostrom, the head of the Danish Health Authority, said on Wednesday that his “best estimate” based on local investigations suggests a 1 in 40,000 risk of suffering a blood clot after an Astra shot. He also said the higher incidence of clotting among younger women seems to be related to the fact that many health workers were inoculated very early, many of whom are women.
Denmark’s ability to control the virus so far has also fueled the health authority’s decision and gives it some leeway to delay its vaccination program, Brostrom said.
Meanwhile, several countries have already said they will approach Denmark to ask if they can buy their unused Astra shots, of which they have about 200,000. Brostrom indicated that he was open to the idea, but said Denmark would keep some doses, in case he suddenly found himself fighting an intense third wave. About a third of the existing batch only has a shelf life through June, Brostrom said.
Denmark was one of the first countries to suspend the Astra vaccine on March 11 after the notification of blood clots. At the time, the Danish health authority defined the decision as a precautionary measure and reiterated its view that the vaccine was “effective and safe”.
Both European and British drug regulators have said they found a link between Astra vaccine and blood clots, but said the benefits still outweigh the risks. Most Western European countries have limited the use of the company vaccine to the elderly, while in Eastern Europe, Astra has been largely reinstated without limitations.
Denmark’s Scandinavian neighbor Norway, which has also kept Astra in suspense since last month, will announce its decision on Thursday.
Danish authorities said people who have already received a first shot of Astra will be offered a second shot from another producer, such as Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE o Moderna Inc.
Denmark’s announcement on Wednesday took a dramatic turn when the head of the unit that provided much of the data behind the country’s decision, Tanja Erichsen, collapsed during her presentation. Journalists who attended the event were informed that he recovered quickly after suffering a brief moment of fainting.
As elsewhere, the Danish health authorities have been working 24 hours a day to ensure that the country’s testing and vaccination facilities are operating efficiently.
Read more: The EU has called for limiting Astra’s firing to too many people 60 inches Unified rules
– With the assistance of Zoe Schneeweiss and Naomi Kresge
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