Major European nations suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine

BERLIN — Spain will stop administering the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for two weeks while experts review its safety, Health Minister Carolina Dias announced Monday.

Other European Union countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have also temporarily stopped using the AstraZeneca jab amid reports that some people developed blood clots after receiving the shot.

Dias announced the “precautionary and temporary” move at a news conference in Madrid after consulting Spain’s regional governments.

A handful of Spain’s 17 regions had already stopped giving the AstraZeneca jab, despite the national government’s earlier insistence that there was no evidence to warrant changing vaccine policy.

AstraZeneca and global health authorities insist the shot is safe.

Spain has been giving the jab only to people under 55 years of age, saying its effectiveness on older people is not proven.

Agencies via Xinhua