Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine: which countries have paused jab and why

Which countries have paused their use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine?

A host of European countries have put all vaccinations with this jab on hold, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Ireland. Some others such as Estonia and Austria have suspended vaccinations from particular batches of the vaccine.

Why have the vaccinations been paused?

A small number of isolated cases of blood-clotting conditions among those who have received the vaccine have been reported in some countries. These include pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis as well as rarer conditions such as thrombocytopenia, where people do not make enough platelets, and a disorder called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), which is a type of blood clot in the brain.

European governments say they are acting out of “an abundance of caution”, pausing vaccinations while the cases are investigated. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said it expects to report its conclusions on Thursday.

Are these events down to the vaccine?

That’s what the investigations are looking into, but leading bodies have stressed that evidence is so far lacking.

Emer Cooke, the head of the EMA, said on Wednesday that there was no indication that the case have been caused by the jab, and that the EMA remains “firmly convinced” the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks. But, she added, the cases “are a serious concern and need serious and detailed scientific evaluation”.

Prof Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said: “The UK has administered 11m doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and there has been no demonstrable difference in the number of blood clots since the vaccine was introduced.”

Dr Phil Bryan, vaccines safety lead at the UK’sMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority, agreed. “We are closely reviewing reports but the evidence available does not suggest the vaccine is the cause,” he added.

How is this being investigated?

One way is to look at whether the incidence rate of cases of a certain condition is higher among those who have had the vaccine than would be expected from typical rates.

On Tuesday, Germany’s federal ministry of health said that there had been seven cases of CVST, including three deaths, in the 1.6 million people who had received the jab. That, it said, means that the rate of CVST was three or four times higher that would normally be expected.

But Prof Jon Gibbins, director of the Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research at the University of