Denmark becomes first European nation to stop using AstraZeneca vaccine

Denmark on Tuesday banned the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first European nation to take such action over rare but serious suspected health risks. 

"Denmark's vaccination campaign will go ahead without the AstraZeneca vaccine," Danish Health Authority director Soren Brostrom in a press conference was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. 

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The decision comes as Germany announced that people aged under 60 who had received the first dose of AstraZeneca jab will receive a different Covid-19 vaccine for their second dose. 

Among millions of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that have been administered, there have been a few blood clot cases and the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have shrugged off fears related to the vaccine. 

The clots appear in veins in the brain, known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, CVST, as well as in the abdomen and arteries. 

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According to the EMA, 222 cases of atypical thromboses have been detected out of 34 million AstraZeneca doses in European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) and Britain, as of April 4.

There have been 18 deaths too according to this condition as of March 22. 

Meanwhile, South Africa has suspended the use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine over potential blood clot risks reported by the US, the health minister said.

(With inputs from agencies)