AstraZeneca remains on hold in Denmark

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The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine will remain suspended in Denmark for at least three more weeks. National Board of Health Director Søren Brostrøm and Danish Medicines Agency Head Tanja Lund Erichsen made the announcement at a press conference this afternoon. 

Søren Brostrøm says the investigation to determine any causal link between the vaccine and cases of severe blood clotting needs more time. 

“At present, we believe that our basis for making a final decision on the further use of the COVID vaccine from AstraZeneca is too uncertain. Many studies have been launched, but we do not yet have any conclusions.” 

Tanja Lund Erichsen says AstraZeneca is “generally a safe vaccine” but “it cannot be ruled out that there is a connection between the vaccine and severe blood clots.”

Brostrøm says the investigation is multifaceted both in trying to determine if there is a link to the AstraZeneca vaccine and if there is something in the vaccine triggering a reaction within the blood or immune system of a small group of people.

A group of medical experts in coagulation medicine, immunology, neurology, infectious disease medicine and pharmacoepidemiology have been brought together to investigate. 

The National Board of Health suspended AstraZeneca vaccinations on March 11th after reports of serious cases of blood clotting, decreased platelet counts, and bleeding, resulting in at least two deaths. Subsequently, the European Medicines Agency, EMA, has assessed 25 cases of this and similar types of serious, rare side effects. 

The Danish Health and Medicines Authority will make a decision regarding the use of the AstraZeneca in week 15, mid-April.