Several countries have temporarily stopped Astra Zeneca's vaccine since a possible link to blood clots was reported.

Now Sweden is also pausing the use of the vaccine.

The Swedish Public Health Agency writes in a press release that the decision will apply until the European Medicines Agency's EMA's investigation into suspected side effects is completed.

- The decision is a precautionary measure, says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell in a comment.

Looking at connections

According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, the EMA and the Medical Products Agency are investigating the reports that have been received about suspected blood clots (thrombosis) and bleeding (thrombocytopenia) as a result in a number of individuals who have received the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

It will be looked at whether there may be a causal link to the vaccine.

In Sweden, no case of the current side effects has been reported.

- There is good knowledge about the vaccine, but it is still important that we now pause the vaccination until the EMA has investigated whether these events may be related to vaccination, says Anders Tegnell.

Sweden's vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström tells SVT Nyheter that he was reached by the message on Monday night.

He hopes that the stop will only last a few days.

- Hopefully this will be short-lived, he says.

"Very unusual"

According to Richard Bergström, those who have no symptoms need to feel anxious.

- As I have understood from the Medical Products Agency, these side effects appear very quickly, but it is very unusual.

If you have healthy younger people, you have a very small tolerance for side effects.

We can not accept that there are side effects among younger people, he says.

Jacob Lund, Communications Director AstraZeneca norden:

- We note that decision and have respect for the fact that each individual country's expert authority must make its own assessments based on local conditions, he says.

How do you view the side effects that have been reported?

- I have no further comments right now.

Veronica Arthurson, unit manager at the Medical Products Agency:

- The European Medicines Agency and the Medical Products Agency have since the end of last week investigated signals about Astra Zeneca's vaccine on blood clots and bleeding in particular.

We have seen that there are a few reported cases that have a rather unusual clinical picture.

With concomitantly low levels of platelets, thrombocytopenia, in these people who also have blood clots and bleeding.

And these are people who have been vaccinated with Astra Zeneca's vaccine.

So in this investigation, all available information is now examined so that we can determine if there is a causal link to the vaccine.