Netherlands suspends AstraZeneca jab for under-60s over blood clot fears

Shafaq News/ The Netherlands has temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for people aged under 60 as a “precaution”.

The Dutch health ministry said in a statement, the decision was based on a new report from independent advisory body Lareb.

The report concerned five women in the country aged between 25 and 65 who had gone on to suffer blood clots after receiving the shot. "Similar reports have also come from other EU countries," Euro News reported.

About 400,000 people in the Netherlands have received the AstraZeneca jab so far, out of around 2.3 million doses of vaccine so far administered nationwide, and doctors have been advised to cancel all appointments for under-60s until further notice.

The ban comes two weeks after the European Medicines Agency had determined the AstraZeneca vaccine was "safe and effective", but said it could not definitively rule out the increased risk of blood clots as a side effect of the jab.

Several countries including Italy, Austria and the Baltic states resumed the rollout of AstraZeneca across all age groups after the EMA’s conclusions were published on March 19.

Three days ago Germany also restricted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged over 60 and those belonging to high-risk categories.