Denmark halts AstraZeneca jab over blood clot concern

Denmark has suspended use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after a Danish person was one of several cases of blood clots among vaccinated people, the country's health authority said.

The authority did not say there was a direct link between the vaccine, developed with Oxford University, and the blood clots. It has stopped use of the vaccine for 14 days while it investigates.

Denmark's decision follows Austria's move to stop using a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine while investigating a death from coagulation disorders and a patient suffering from a pulmonary embolism. The European Medicines Agency said on Monday the number of thromboembolic cases among people who received the jab was no higher than in the general population.

The EMA said Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia had temporarily suspended using the batch after Austria. The batch was sent to 17 EU countries including Denmark and comprises 1m doses.

"Both we and the Danish Medicines Agency have to respond to reports of possible serious side-effects, both from Denmark and other European countries," Soren Brostrom, the Danish Health Authority's director, said in a statement.

AstraZeneca has said its inoculations go through rigorous quality controls and that there have been "no confirmed serious adverse events associated with the vaccine". It said it was in contact with Austrian authorities and would support their investigation, Reuters reported.

AstraZeneca shares fell 2.3% to £70.27 at 11:04 GMT.