Eight European Union (EU) countries, including Italy, Denmark and Norway, have halted use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
The reason: Fear of blood clot formation.
The apprehension follows the incident of a nurse dying in Austria from a clot shortly after taking the jab. There have been reports of blood clot in a number of other cases as well, Mail Online reported.
The decision of these nations is at variance with EU’s own medical regulator, which has opined that there is no clear link between the nurse’s death and the vaccine. According to data provided by UK regulators, those taking the vaccine are no more likely to suffer clots than the rest of the population.
Doubts have been cast over the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine before also.
Last month, EU countries like Germany and France restricted the use of this vaccine in those aged above 65, saying that it was ineffective in the elderly.