Norwegian Medicines Agency to hold emergency meeting after Denmark stops using AstraZeneca vaccine

The Norwegian Medicines Agency will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday morning, after Denmark and several European countries stopped the use of the AstraZeneca corona vaccine.

According to the Danish authorities, the European Medicines Agency is investigating whether the vaccine can cause blood clots. There is one death in Denmark potentially related to the case. However, no association with the vaccine has been confirmed.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) will investigate whether Norway must also take action after Denmark stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to possible serious side effects.

“What we can say is that we are aware that some cases of blood clots have been reported among young people in Austria, Denmark, and other countries. But it has not yet been determined that there is any definite connection with the vaccine,” chief physician Sigurd Hortemo in the Norwegian Medicines Agency told newspaper Dagbladet.

“This will be investigated carefully. Denmark has chosen to stop using the vaccine… The Norwegian Medicines Agency and the FHI will assess whether this is also relevant for Norway,” he said.

FHI to look into the issue

“The FHI is in dialogue with the Norwegian Medicines Agency to clarify the situation and will revert when we have more information,” the FHI wrote on Twitter.

The Danish health authorities have announced that they will stop using the British-developed vaccine to be safe after receiving reports that it can allegedly cause fatal blood clots.

It has not been proven that there is a connection between the vaccines and the cases of blood clots, but Denmark will stop the use of the vaccines until this has been clarified, Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke wrote on Twitter.

Frederiksen: Use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine put on hold

Denmark is putting the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine on hold after several vaccinated people got blood clots, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced earlier on Thursday.

“It is true that the use of the vaccine has been put on hold until the authorities have received an overview of the side effects. I think that is the right way to do it,” Frederiksen noted.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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