Thailand said Friday it had paused use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine while investigators looked into potential side effects and adverse reactions, becoming the first Asian country to make the move.
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Denmark, Norway, and Iceland all said on Thursday they were suspending all use of the vaccine following several cases of blood clots among vaccinated people. Several other European countries, including Italy, have suspended a specific batch of the vaccine.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand’s decision was based on foreign data, and that authorities wanted to wait for more information. His statement did not mention the blood clots or name any other countries.
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It’s not clear yet whether the incidents reported in European countries are linked to AstraZeneca’s vaccine, Charnvirakul said. More than 30 million doses of the vaccine have been administered across the world, he added.
He said it was normal to slow down or pause the rollout of a vaccine while authorities investigate potential side effects.
There’s no evidence yet that AstraZeneca’s vaccine causes blood clots , and experts say any risks are outweighed by the shot’s benefits.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Wednesday it was investigating the incidents. Charnvirakul said he expected this investigation to last about two weeks. The Chinese vaccine Sinovac remains available in the meantime, he added.
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Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and members of his government were due to receive AstraZeneca’s vaccine Friday morning. This has now been postponed. The Financial Times reported that journalists were only told the AstraZeneca vaccine had been suspended after they arrived at the health ministry to report on the vaccinations.
