Sweden, Venezuela are latest countries to question AstraZeneca vaccine
Sweden is the latest European country to temporarily suspend the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca following reports of abnormal blood clotting in its recipients.
Venezuela on Monday announced it wouldn't authorize the use of the vaccine in the country at all following those reports.
The Swedish Public Health Agency said early Tuesday, as a precautionary measure, it would suspend the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine until the European Medicines Agency reveals its findings from its ongoing investigation into the reports of negative side effects in patients. The report is expected in a few days.
The country now joins several other European nations including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland that moved to temporarily suspend the administration of the vaccine this week.
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Other European countries, such as Italy, Austria, Norway and Denmark, suspended, delayed or limited the rollout of the vaccine over similar safety concerns.
The World Health Organization continues to support and encourage using the injection.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, made in conjunction with the University of Oxford, is not authorized in the United States. It is used widely in Europe.
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