Denmark Stops Use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 Vaccine Completely
April 14 2021 - 8:02AM
Dow Jones News
By Dominic Chopping
Denmark has decided to cease use of AstraZeneca PLC's Covid-19
vaccine completely amid the drug's link to blood clots, the
country's health authority said Wednesday.
The Scandinavian country was among the first to temporarily halt
vaccinations with the vaccine last month. Authorities initially
paused use of the vaccine for two weeks, which was then extended by
a further three weeks, allowing for more time to assess studies
into possible side effects.
The Danish Health Authority said Wednesday that those studies,
including joint Danish and Norwegian efforts, concluded that there
is an "over-frequency" of specific side effects, especially blood
clots in the veins in the brain.
"Overall, we must say that the results show that there is a real
and serious side effect signals in the vaccine from AstraZeneca,"
Danish Health Authority Director Soren Brostrom said.
"Based on an overall consideration, we have therefore chosen to
continue the vaccination program for all target groups without this
vaccine," he said.
The authority said that overall the vaccine offers more
advantages than disadvantages, but that Denmark has other vaccines
available and the country has good control of the epidemic with
high numbers of the more vulnerable older age groups already
vaccinated.
"If we in Denmark were in a completely different situation with
for example a violent third wave and a pressured healthcare system,
and where we had not reached that far in our rollout of vaccines, I
would not hesitate to use the vaccine," Mr. Brostrom added.
The authority added that AstraZeneca's drug remains an approved
vaccine and it doesn't rule out that it could be used again in the
future if the situation changes.
Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 14, 2021 08:47 ET (12:47 GMT)
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