The Italian Medicines Agency AIFA suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccine nationwide on Monday as a preventive measure until the European Medicines Agency and several other countries make a ruling.
At the same time, the Carabinieri NAS health police began to seize the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from a batch that officials from the northern region of Piedmont suspended on Sunday.
Following the death of a clarinet teacher after being vaccinated, Piedmont banned the use of the batch as a preventive measure. Biella’s prosecutor opened a homicide investigation in the death of teacher Sandro Tognatti and seized several batches of jabs across the country.
Due to concerns about blood clots and other possible side effects, some countries have suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccine or specific batches of vaccine.
Last week, after reports that a sailor and a policeman died after taking the Sicilian vaccine, the Italian Medicines Agency AIFA suspended the production of another batch of drugs. They were followed by another Sicily officer, a school janitor and teacher in Campania, and a total of six people died in Italy.
AIFA emphasizes that suspension of use is a preventive measure, and there is no causal relationship between “serious adverse events” and vaccination.
Health Minister Roberto Sperenza stated that the COVID-19 vaccine used in Italy is safe, and the World Health Organization defended AstraZeneca‘s jab.
Germany, Thailand, Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia have stopped the jabs developed in cooperation with Oxford University to solve the thrombosis problem, while Austria has also joined Italy and stopped certain batches.
