Ireland, Netherlands halt AstraZeneca vaccine over clotting cases

Ireland and the Netherlands temporarily suspended administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, a day after Norway reported blood clots developing in patients who have been inoculated with the shot.

Stephen Donnelly, Ireland’s health minister, said in a tweet that the decision to suspend the vaccine was “a precautionary step” and based on “new information from Norway that emerged late last night.”

The decision to temporarily suspend use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was based on new information from Norway that emerged late last night. This is a precautionary step. The National Immunisation Advisory Comm meets again this morning and we’ll provide an update after that
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) March 14, 2021

Ireland’s National Immunization Advisory Committee made the decision after Norway on Saturday reported four new cases of blood clotting and bleeding under the skin in adults under the age of 65 who were inoculated against COVID-19 with the the shot developed by AstraZeneca and Britain’s Oxford University.

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