Austrian Health and Safety Authority "Conducting All Necessary Investigations"
AstraZeneca "Cooperating with Austrian Health Authorities' Investigation"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Austrian health authorities announced that they have decided to suspend the administration of the remaining stock of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after reports of deaths following vaccination in the country. AstraZeneca stated that it is in contact with the Austrian health authorities and will support the investigation.
According to foreign media including Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), the Austrian Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) reported that a death occurred after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine at a clinic in the northern Zwettl region, stating, "As a precautionary safety measure, the distribution of the remaining stock of the vaccine has been suspended and no vaccinations are being administered." BASG emphasized, "There is no evidence of a causal relationship with the vaccination," and "In particular, thrombotic events are not known side effects of this vaccine."
According to BASG, two serious adverse reactions were reported after vaccination. The deceased was a 49-year-old woman who died from severe coagulation dysfunction. Another 35-year-old woman was hospitalized after developing pulmonary embolism, a blood clot blocking the pulmonary artery, following vaccination, and is currently recovering. Both women are reported to be nurses working at the Zwettl clinic.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca stated in an interview with the Austrian local news agency APA on the same day, "We are currently in contact with the Austrian health authorities and will support the investigation," adding, "This vaccine has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) through a global clinical program involving 23,000 participants, and all evaluations have concluded that it is safe and effective."
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