Belgian health minister says no doubt AstraZenca is a good vaccine
From CNN s James Frater
Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke in Brussels, Belgium, on February 26. Isopix/Shutterstock
Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke sought to reassure the country about the AstraZeneca vaccine, following a decision to temporarily pause administering it to those aged 18 to 55.
“There is no doubt about that it is a good vaccine. It protects against the disease,” he said. But he cautioned that it does have side effects, “like any vaccine.”
The decision by Belgium to suspend using AstraZeneca came after a finding by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that there was a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca vaccine and “very rare cases of blood clots” but that the benefits of the vaccine continue to out weigh the risks.
Man held in custody after failed bomb attempt on Netherlands vaccine center
From CNN’s Chloe Adams and Vasco Cotovio
A man is being held in custody in the Netherlands after plotting to blow up a vaccine center, a spokesperson for the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) told CNN on Thursday.
Police arrested the 37-year-old man on March 18 on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack on the former town hall of Den Helder on the Drs. F. Bijlweg. The building has been in use as a coronavirus vaccination center since March 8.
The police investigation so far has revealed the suspect, from Den Helder in North Holland, intended to cause an explosion with a firework bomb, according to the Public Prosecution Service, which classified the actions as an act of terror.