Norway Takes More Time To Decide On Resuming Use Of AstraZeneca Vaccine

Norway decided not to resume, but also not to cease altogether, the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine despite the National Institute of Public Health recommending that the drug be abandoned due to side effects, Norwegian Health Minister Bent Hoeie said on Thursday

MURMANSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2021) Norway decided not to resume, but also not to cease altogether, the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine despite the National Institute of Public Health recommending that the drug be abandoned due to side effects, Norwegian Health Minister Bent Hoeie said on Thursday.

"The government believes that we do not have sufficient grounds to make a final decision. We must examine the consequences of the vaccine impact on health of the entire population if we have to live with [restrictive] measures longer than Europe," Hoeie said, as quoted by NRK broadcaster.

The minister cited health experts' recommendation to exclude the AstraZeneca vaccine from Norway's vaccination program due to rare but serious side effects.

The government is now setting up an expert group that will comprehensively assess the risks and submit a report with findings on May 10, Hoeie said.

Norway suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine on March 11 due to multiple cases of post-inoculation blood clotting, as did most EU member states. Despite EU regulator certification of the vaccine's safety, Denmark chose not to resume its use.