#Italian region suspends AstraZeneca jabs after death

Italy’s northern Piedmont region on Sunday suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the death of a teacher who had received it the day before, the regional health authority said.

The woman, who age has not been disclosed, died Sunday at Biella, a town north of Turin.

“This is an extreme precautionary measure, while waiting to see if there exists a causal link between the vaccination and the death,” said a statement from regional health advisor Luigi Genesio Icardi.

Already on Thursday, Italy decided to halt the use of a batch of the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine because of fears over the formation of blood clots.

On Sunday, health ministry inspectors arrived in Sicily, in the south of the country, to investigate the death there of a 43-year-old soldier last Tuesday after having received the vaccine.

An autopsy was performed Saturday at a hospital at Catania, on the island.

Several countries, including Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Bulgaria, have suspended use of the AstraZeneca jabs because of fears over blood cuts in patients who received the vaccine.

The World Health Organization and the company have said there is no causal link between the vaccine and clotting and the Anglo-Swedish manufacturer says the jab is safe.

© 2021 AFP