Vaccination of AstraZeneca has been suspended in Norway until further notice.
"Due to side effects and deaths in Denmark from blood clots after receiving the vaccine, we decided to suspend vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine," Geir Bukholm, director of infection control at FHI said at a press conference on Thursday.
The interruption means that the ward stops ordering the vaccine. Already dispatched doses will be stored at the vaccination site.
FHI and the Norwegian Medicines Agency held an urgent meeting to stop using AstraZeneca.
The relationship between blood clots and the vaccine has not been established. This is what Denmark, Norway and several other countries are currently researching.
- Have you seen similar side effects in Norway?
- We have a similar incident in Norway with this vaccine that did not lead to death. But they are extremely rare, and it could be a coincidence.
This interruption will cause some delays in the immunization program.
"We will prepare an updated version of the vaccine delivery scenario," says the director of infection control.
It adds that it's a vaccine that basically has good documentation.
We also know the importance of having enough doses in the future to cover the need for COVID-19 protection.
FHI has not specified exactly how long they want to take the supply interruption.
He adds that it is a difficult decision to stop vaccinating in the middle of a pandemic, with high infection pressure and people at risk needing the vaccine.
But of course it is very important to find out if there is a potential security challenge but so far no link has been found, it is very important to highlight it.
- Are you concerned that this will go beyond general vaccination support?
- Yes, of course there is always a risk when something like this happens, but that is why we are so anxious to find out exactly what happened to protect the population.
Steinar Madsen: Hope I don't find a relationship
The Norwegian Medicines Agency is working on collecting all the documentation and checking if the blood clot is related to the vaccine.
They do this by analyzing all reports of side effects in the country that may be related to blood clots. In addition, they receive data from Denmark and other countries.
"This has the highest priority, both in Norway, Denmark and the EMA (European Medicines Agency)," said medical director Steinar Madsen.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also conducts its own research.
- Very rarely
At present, it does not appear that there are more cases of blood clots in the vaccinated population than among those who did not.
- We hope to find out that there is no connection here.
Madsen adds that "it is very important to say that these are very, very rare side effects." But first, the health authorities need to find out if there is a link.
Several municipalities take breaks
A few days ago there were also two reports from Austria where two younger people were vaccinated, one had a fatal blood clot, the other had a blood clot in the lungs.
The European Medicines Agency said Wednesday the incidents in Austria did not appear to be related to the vaccine.
Several Norwegian municipalities and countries in Europe withhold AstraZeneca vaccination after death and vaccination ceased in Denmark. Sweden will not temporarily suspend vaccination. According to government spokesman Die Welt, Germany also sees no reason to withhold vaccination.
"This is a serious situation that we will take very seriously in Norway," said medical director Steinar Madsen of the Norwegian Medicines Agency on Thursday.
