Denmark became the first country in the European Union to decline AstraZeneca Plc vaccine from its Covid-19 inoculation program amid concerns about serious side effects.
The Danish health authority will “continue its 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. He listed the risk of blood clots, bleeding and low platelets.
Separate decision
Europe is failing to establish 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 launch of the vaccination program is an issue that each country must decide, 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 cautious strategies in fighting the pandemic since the coronavirus struck the continent more than a year ago. He was among the first to impose a blockade and close its borders. The government then made international headlines when it eliminated the entire population of minks in Denmark, fearing that the animals could help spread the coronavirus mutations.
Soren Brostrom, head of the Danish Health Authority, said on Wednesday that his “best estimate”, based on local research, suggests a 1 in 40,000 risk of getting a blood clot after an Astra shot. He also said that the higher incidence of coagulation among younger women seems to be related to the fact that a lot of health workers were inoculated early, many of whom are women.
Denmark’s ability to keep the virus under control has also fueled the health authority’s decision and given it room for maneuver to delay its vaccination program, Brostrom said.
Meanwhile, a number of countries have already said they will approach Denmark to ask if they can buy their unused Astra photos, of which it has about 200,000. Brostrom said he was open to the idea, but said Denmark would keep some doses in case it suddenly found itself battling a third intense wave. About a third of the existing batch has a deadline of June, Brostrom said.
Denmark was one of the first countries to suspend the Astra vaccine on March 11 after reports of blood clots. At the time, the Danish Health Authority called the decision a precautionary measure and reiterated its view that the vaccine is “effective and safe”.
Both European and British authorities said they had found a link between the Astra vaccine and blood clots, but said the benefits still outweigh the risks. Most Western European countries have limited their use of the company’s vaccine to the elderly, while in Eastern Europe, Astra has been largely reintegrated without restrictions.
Denmark’s Scandinavian neighbor Norway, which also kept Astra on hold last month, is due to announce its decision on Thursday.
The Danish authorities have stated that people who have already received a first Astra shot will be offered a second jab from another manufacturer, such as Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE or Moderna Inc.
Denmark’s announcement took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when the head of the unit that provided much of the data behind the country’s decision, Tanja Erichsen, collapsed during his presentation. Reporters who attended the event were told that he recovered quickly after suffering a brief moment of fainting.
As elsewhere, the Danish health authorities have worked non-stop to ensure that the country’s testing and vaccination facilities are operating efficiently.
Read more: The EU has called for limiting Astra Shot to people over 60 in Unified rules
– With the assistance of Zoe Schneeweiss and Naomi Kresge
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