Denmark ditches AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot over blood clot risk

In world-first move, Denmark stops using AstraZeneca’s vaccine altogether, citing ‘real risk’ of serious side effects.

Denmark has become the first country to halt all use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after recent reports of rare but serious side effects among a small minority of recipients of the shot. The move will push back the scheduled conclusion of the Scandinavian country’s vaccination scheme to early August from July 25. It comes despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – the European Union’s medicines regulator – to continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine.