AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations were halted by France, Italy, Spain, and Germany due to precautions, officials said Monday, as Italian officials seized thousands of doses of the medicine in a northern province after a man died. The UK company and EU regulators have previously said there is no evidence that the vaccine is to blame for reported blood clots and alleged deaths.
“The decision has been made ... to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution, hoping that we can resume its use quickly if the judgment of the EMA [European Medicines Agency] allows it,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference on Monday.
