Finland suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine

Finland on Friday decided to suspend the use of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for a temporary period after two cases of unusual blood clotting in the brain had been reported after coronavirus vaccination, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

THL took the decision of stopping the AstraZeneca vaccination as a precautionary measures as the Finnish Medicines Agency (FIMEA) reported that the incidents of blood clotting occurred four to ten days after getting the vaccine, said THL officials at a press conference.

They said the use of AstraZeneca vaccine would be suspended for at least one week until 29 March.

THL Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek told the press conference that two women aged 20 to 50 have been suffering from blood clotting seriously but no specific connection of the vaccine in this regard was cleared yet.

People who have already been vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine were requested to seek medical assistance, if they had any unusual symptom.

The prescheduled appointments for AstraZeneca vaccination will be cancelled and the authorities will communicate with the respective people later, gradually.

Many other countries, who had suspended the use of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine earlier, decided to resume the vaccination after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday found AstraZeneca vaccine safe and effective.

Based on its preliminary investigation, the EMA concluded that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is “safe and effective,” while not definitely ruling out possible link to rare blood clots accompanied by low levels of blood platelets.

“Close safety monitoring of reports of blood clotting disorders will continue, and further studies are being instituted to provide more laboratory data as well as real-world evidence,” said the European Union (EU) regulator for medicines in a statement.