The Austrian authorities have decided to partially suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 after the death of one of the vaccinated. As Reuters reports with reference to the Federal Office for Health Safety (BASG), this is done as a precaution.
According to the department, two messages have been received that may be indirectly related to vaccination. Moreover, in each of the cases, the vaccination was carried out from one batch of vaccine in the same clinic in the city of Zwetl in the federal state of Lower Austria.
A 49-year-old woman died of severe bleeding disorders, and a 35-year-old woman developed pulmonary embolism. According to the doctors, the second patient is now gradually recovering. The document from the federal department indicated that there was no direct connection between these health problems and vaccinations.
According to the Austrian newspaper Niederoesterreichische Nachrichten, the vaccinated women worked as nurses in the same clinic where they were vaccinated. BASG clarified that blood clotting disorders were not listed among the possible side effects after the vaccine was administered.
Earlier it was reported that Austria wanted to produce the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V” and began negotiations on this matter. The country is also considering purchasing the vaccine if approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
