Europe Investigates AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reported today Austrian's national competent authority had suspended using a batch of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (batch number ABV5300) after a person was diagnosed with multiple thrombosis and died 10 days after vaccination. Another person was hospitalized with pulmonary embolism after being vaccinated. The latter is now recovering.

As of March 9, 2021, two other reports of thromboembolic event cases had been received by the EMA for this vaccine batch.

Overall, 22 cases of thromboembolic events had been reported among the 3 million people vaccinated with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in the European Economic Area during 2021.

However, there is currently no indication that vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine. Although a quality defect is considered unlikely at this stage, the batch quality is being investigated, stated the EMA in a press release.

Batch ABV5300 was delivered to 17 EU countries and comprised 1 million vaccine doses. Some EU countries have also subsequently suspended this batch as a precautionary measure, while a full investigation is ongoing. The EMA commented the 'information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population.

And the EMA will continue its assessment of any potential issue with the batch as well as its review of thromboembolic events and related conditions.'

The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is made from a virus (ChAdOx1), a weakened version of a common cold virus. Genetic material has been added to the ChAdOx1 construct, which is used to make proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus called Spike glycoprotein.