|
 Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine has also been hit by
concerns over blood clots, with European regulators reviewing such
cases and U.S. federal health agencies recommending pausing its use
for a few days. J&J noted no clear causal relationship had been
established between the clots and its vaccine.
The developments pose a risk to vaccination plans in Europe.
Regulators have maintained that the benefits of the AstraZeneca shot
outweigh risks.
Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca said it was working with
regulators to list the possible brain blood clots as "an extremely
rare potential side effect" on the vaccines labels.
As of April 4, the European Medicines Agency had received reports of
169 cases of a rare brain blood clot known as cerebral venous sinus
thrombosis (CVST), after 34 million doses had been administered in
the European Economic Area - the EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein and
Iceland. Most cases were in women under 60 years of age.
ASTRAZENECA VACCINE BEING USED, WITH OR WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS
AUSTRALIA
Said on April 8 it now recommends people under 50 should get
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in preference to AstraZeneca's shot.
AUSTRIA
Has resumed use.
BRAZIL
Authorities said they would not limit use of the AstraZeneca
vaccine, saying benefits outweigh risks.
BRITAIN
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has said an
alternative to the vaccine should be given for people under 30 where
possible, but people should continue to have a second shot if they
have received a first dose.
BULGARIA
Resumed inoculations from March 19.
CYPRUS
Resumed inoculations on March 19.
CANADA
Authorities said in early April they would pause offering the
vaccine to people under 55 and require a new analysis of the shot's
benefits and risks based on age and gender. On April 13, the country
said it had recorded its first case of blood clotting with low
platelets.
ESTONIA
Suspended use of the vaccine for people under 60 on April 7.
FRANCE
Approved resumed use of the vaccine on March 19 but said it should
be given only to people aged 55 and over. On April 9, recommended
that recipients of a first dose of the AstraZeneca shot who are
under 55 should receive a second dose with a messenger RNA vaccine.
FINLAND
Resumed using the AstraZeneca vaccine from March 29, but only for
people aged 65 and over.
GEORGIA
Has limited use of the vaccine following the death of a nurse from
anaphylactic shock, and vaccinations will continue only in
full-fledged medical centres, Russian news agency TASS reported on
March 19.
GERMANY
Sticking to its guidance from March 31 to limit use of the vaccine
to those aged over 60. On April 1, Germany's vaccine commission
recommended people under 60 who have had a first shot of the vaccine
should receive a different product for their second dose.
HUNGARY
Continuing the vaccine's rollout.
ICELAND
Resumed use on March 25 after suspending it on March 11.
INDONESIA
Resumed using the vaccine on March 22 but warned against its use in
people with a low blood platelet count.
IRELAND
On April 12, the country said it was restricting use of the vaccine
to those over 60.
[to top of second column] |
 ITALY
Has recommended the vaccine be used only for
people over 60, the country's top health adviser
said.
LATVIA
Announced it was restarting administering the
shots from March 19. LITHUANIA
Restarted use on March 19.
MEXICO
Drug regulator Cofepris said on April 7 it did not "at this time"
plan to limit the vaccine's use but was investigating the
information raised by Britain.
NETHERLANDS
Limited use of the vaccine to people over 60, the Dutch government
said on April 8.
NORTH MACEDONIA
Health minister said on March 31 the vaccine would be limited to
people aged over 60 as a precautionary measure.
PHILIPPINES
Suspended use of the vaccine for people under 60 on April 8.
ROMANIA
Has resumed use of the vaccine after temporarily stopping
vaccinating people with one batch of the vaccine on March 11.
SOUTH KOREA
Resumed use of the shot for people 30 years old or older on April
12. On April 7, it had suspended providing the AstraZeneca shot to
people under 60.
SPAIN
From April 8, it was giving the vaccine only to people over 60.
SWEDEN
Resumed use of the vaccine on March 25 for people aged 65 and older.
THAILAND
Began use on March 15 after delaying rollout the week before.
COUNTRIES WHERE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE USE SUSPENDED
CAMEROON
Suspended administration of the vaccine it was scheduled to receive
on March 20 as part of the global vaccines sharing scheme COVAX, the
health ministry said.
DENMARK
Prolonged its suspension of the shot by three weeks pending further
investigations after a two-week pause ended on March 25.
NORWAY
Authorities said on March 26 Norway would delay a decision on use of
the vaccine, with a decision expected by April 15.
J&J VACCINE DELAYS AND RESTRICTIONS
UNITED STATES
On April 13, U.S. federal health agencies recommended pausing use of
J&J's COVID-19 vaccine for at least a few days after six women under
age 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot.
EUROPEAN UNION
The company said it would delay rollout of the vaccine to Europe,
after regulators said they were reviewing rare blood clots.
J&J only began delivering the vaccine to European Union countries in
the week beginning April 12.
SOUTH AFRICA
Suspended use of J&J's vaccine on April 13.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka, Yadarisa Shabong, Manas Mishra,
Vishwadha Chander, Amruta Khandekar and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru;
editing by Josephine Mason, Alison Williams, Timothy Heritage, Larry
King)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content |
