President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France was suspending use of the AstraZeneca vaccine at least until Tuesday afternoon, mimicking several other European countries that have taken similar measures due to potential serious adverse effects from the COVID vaccine -19. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is due to issue an opinion Tuesday afternoon on whether to continue using the British vaccine. 

"The decision that has been taken is to suspend vaccination with AstraZeneca as a precaution, hoping to resume it soon if the EMA gives the green light," Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference with Spanish head of government Pedro Sanchez at the end of the XXVI Franco-Spanish summit in Montauban (Haute-Garonne). 

A dozen countries including Germany, the latest to date, have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 as a precaution, after the reporting of "possible" side effects but without a proven link at this stage. 

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group says there is "no evidence of an increased risk" of a blood clot caused by its vaccine, while the World Health Organization (WHO) believes there is " no reason not to use this vaccine.   

Denmark was the first country on March 11 to suspend AstraZeneca's vaccine "after reports of serious cases of blood clots" in people vaccinated.  

 It was quickly followed by Iceland. 

 Blood clots  

Norway also suspended injections of this vaccine the same day, as a precaution.

Several cases of blood clots in vaccinated adults have been reported there, but again without any link having been proven yet. 

In addition, Norwegian health officials expressed concern on Saturday about cases of skin bleeding in relatively young people who received a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.  

Bulgaria announced on Friday March 12 the suspension "as a precaution" of injections, the day after the decisions taken by the three Nordic countries, while an investigation is underway after the death of a vaccinated woman.  

However, according to the Minister of Health, "no link has been established" at this stage with the vaccination which occurred the day before this woman, who was overweight and had undergone several coronary bypass operations. 

On Sunday, Ireland and the Netherlands also suspended the use of the vaccine, again as a precaution, after cases of blood clots reported in Denmark and Norway. 

 On Monday, Germany in turn announced to suspend vaccination with AstraZeneca "as a preventive measure", also citing cases of blood clots reported in Europe. 

In France, the firefighters of Bouches-du-Rhône (south) said Monday they had suspended the vaccination of their staff with the AstraZeneca vaccine, "as a precautionary measure", after the hospitalization of a firefighter for a cardiac arrhythmia that occurred after his first injection. 

With AFP

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