Major EU nations suspend AstraZeneca use as WHO says it is safe
16 Mar 2021 A medical worker receives a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against the coronavirus disease in Tbilisi. AFP
Several major EU countries halted the AstraZeneca jab on Monday over blood clot fears, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Europe s medicines watchdog insisted it was safe to use.
Both organisations will hold special meetings this week after a host of countries said they would stop using the vaccine pending further review.
The fresh suspensions were a major blow to a global immunisation campaign that experts hope will help end a year-long pandemic that has already killed over 2.6 million people and decimated the global economy.
GENEVA, March 16 ― The EU's largest countries joined a stream of states halting their rollouts of AstraZeneca jabs yesterday over blood clot fears, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Europe's medicines watchdog insisted it was safe to use. Both organisations will hold special.
Major EU nations halt AstraZeneca but WHO says it is safe
More than 350 million vaccines have now been administered globally, but poorer countries are still lagging far behind.
By Nina Larson with AFP Bureaus
March 16, 2021 02:33 GMT
The EU s largest countries joined a stream of states halting their rollouts of AstraZeneca jabs on Monday over blood clot fears, as the World Health Organization and Europe s medicines watchdog insisted it was safe to use.
Authorities in Italy are hoping that strict restrictions and the ongoing vaccination programme will allow a late-spring relaxation of curbs Photo: AFP / Marco Bertorello
Both organisations will hold special meetings this week after a host of countries said they would stop using the vaccine pending further review.