Denmark becomes first country to permanently stop use of AstraZeneca vaccine
Decision comes as another blow to EU’s faltering immunization program
Denmark has become the first country to permanently halt the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine following its possible link to very rare cases of blood clots.
The Danish health authority said on Wednesday that, following its own review, the country’s vaccine rollout would continue without the AstraZeneca shot, as it warned of a “real risk of severe side effects.”
“Based on the scientific findings, our overall assessment is there is a real risk of severe side effects associated with using the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca,” said DHA director general Søren Brostrøm. “We have, therefore, decided to remove the vaccine from our vaccination program,” he added.
The health agency said it agreed with the European Union drug regulator’s assessment that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, but noted that the watchdog urged individual countries to consider their own situations and vaccine availability when making a judgment.
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