The Irish government has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after a number of people who received the inoculations reported developing blot clots, the Associated Press reports.
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the United States yet, although the company was expected to apply for emergency use authorization next months.
After Norway’s health ministry reported blood clots developing in four patients who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, Dr. Ronan Glynn, Ireland’s deputy chief medical officer, opted to suspend use of the vaccine in the nation. Denmark, Norway and Iceland have also cut the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
AstraZeneca said in a statement Sunday that it “would like to offer its reassurance on the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine based on clear scientific evidence. The safety of the public will always come first,” the British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company said, adding that it’s “keeping this issue under close review but available evidence does not confirm that the vaccine is the cause.”
The company said a review of 17 million people who received their vaccine has shown direct connection between the vaccine and an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia.