Norway to Lend AZ Vaccine to Sweden and Iceland

A Total of 216,000 Doses, Must Return to Norway if Requested
Norway Temporarily Suspends AZ Vaccine Administration Following Side Effect Cases

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Norway has decided to lend 216,000 doses of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine, which it holds from the multinational pharmaceutical company, to Sweden and Iceland.

According to major foreign media on the 23rd, the Norwegian Ministry of Health announced this the day before and stated that the lent vaccines will be returned soon upon Norway's request. Sweden will receive 200,000 doses, and Iceland will receive 16,000 doses.

On the 11th of last month, Norway temporarily suspended the use of the AZ vaccine as a preventive measure after a small number of young people who received the AZ vaccine were hospitalized with thrombosis accompanied by thrombocytopenia. Norway has not yet decided whether to resume AZ vaccine administration. It is awaiting the report from a government-appointed committee scheduled for the 10th of next month.

If the Norwegian government decides to permanently exclude the AZ vaccine from its COVID-19 vaccination program, the Ministry of Health explained that the previously ordered doses could be donated to other countries in cooperation with the European Union (EU).

Earlier, on the 7th, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that rare blood clots accompanied by thrombocytopenia should be included as very rare side effects of the AZ COVID-19 vaccine. Since then, many EU member states, including Sweden, have recommended administering this vaccine only to certain age groups.