Hundreds queue up as Latvia offers walk-in AstraZeneca shots

RIGA: People in their 30s showed up in their hundreds on Friday morning as Latvia offered the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone who wanted it in order to clear a growing backlog of the shot often refused by the old.

Latvia is now vaccinating people over 65 and those with chronic illnesses, but many do not show up when told they will be given AstraZeneca. Denmark this week became the first country to stop using AstraZeneca altogether, as European officials investigate reports of rare blood clots. Many countries have resumed using the shot, with some restricting it to certain age groups, mostly those aged above 50 or above 60.