Europe's Big 4 Also Temporarily Suspend AZ Vaccine Administration (Comprehensive)

66% of EU Member States Suspend
Including Indonesia and Thailand... Total 20 Countries

On the 25th, one day before the COVID-19 vaccination, medical staff at Songpa-gu Health Center in Seoul are inspecting the AstraZeneca vaccine. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] European countries including Germany, France, Italy, and Spain decided on the 15th (local time) to temporarily suspend AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine inoculations. Following reports of blood clots forming after vaccination, two out of three European Union (EU) member countries have taken precautionary measures. With this, the number of countries that have suspended AZ vaccine inoculations, including Asian countries, has reached 20.

Jens Spahn, Germany's Minister of Health, stated at a press conference that day, "Following the recommendation of the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which is responsible for vaccine approval, we have decided to temporarily suspend both the first and second doses of the AZ vaccine." Minister Spahn added, "To maintain trust in the AZ vaccine, experts from Germany and the EU need to conduct a more detailed investigation," and emphasized, "Side effects should not ultimately outweigh the benefits of vaccination."

France, which had previously intended to continue AZ vaccinations, will also pause inoculations until the European Medicines Agency (EMA) makes a decision. President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference held immediately after Germany's announcement, "I hope that the EMA's evaluation of the safety of the AZ vaccine will be favorable so that vaccinations can resume quickly."

The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) also announced a nationwide suspension of AZ vaccine use for a period, following recent cases of sudden death after vaccination. Spain, Portugal, and Slovenia are also temporarily halting AZ vaccinations in line with other EU countries' actions.

Among the 27 EU member countries, the number of countries that have suspended the use of all or part of their AZ vaccine supplies has increased to 18. Starting with Denmark, Iceland, Bulgaria, Ireland, and the Netherlands have temporarily suspended all their AZ vaccine stocks. Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Luxembourg have suspended specific batches linked to deaths in Austria, while Romania has suspended specific batches linked to deaths in Italy.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, aware of the EU's moves, emphasized at a press conference that day that "the AZ vaccine is very safe," according to BBC and others. AstraZeneca is a British pharmaceutical company that jointly developed the COVID-19 vaccine with the University of Oxford in the UK.

The EMA, which holds the key to resuming AZ vaccinations in Europe, will conduct an additional review at the Safety Committee on the 16th and hold a meeting on the 18th regarding further measures. However, it maintains the existing view that the benefits of the AZ vaccine outweigh the risks of side effects.

Meanwhile, in Asia, Thailand and Indonesia also postponed vaccinations until the World Health Organization (WHO) completes its review. The WHO has stated that there is no established causal relationship between the vaccine and blood clot formation and sees no reason to suspend the use of the AZ vaccine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.