Major European nations suspend AstraZeneca use

WHO says ‘don’t panic safety systems are working’; US authorisation of AstraZeneca vaccine could come in April; UAE reports 1,898 new cases, 2,438 recoveries and 7 deaths; 37,969 doses of vaccine administered.

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Germany, France and Italy on Monday became the latest countries to suspend use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine over reports of dangerous blood clots in some recipients, though the company and European regulators have said there is no evidence the shot is to blame.

Spain will stop using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for at least 15 days, Cadena Ser radio reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

Health Minister Carolina Darias was due to provide an update, as a growing list of countries stop administering the shot amid concerns of severe adverse effects.

The Health Ministry declined to comment.

Denmark and Norway had stopped giving the shot last week after reporting isolated cases of blood clots, bleeding, or a low platelet count. Iceland and Bulgaria followed suit and Ireland and the Netherlands announced suspensions on Sunday.

AstraZeneca’s formula is just one of three vaccines in use on the continent. But the move amounts to another setback for the European Union’s vaccine rollout, which has been plagued by supply shortages and other complications and is lagging well behind the campaigns in Britain and the US.