- Austrian authorities have temporarily suspended the rollout of a batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after a woman died and another became sick
- Both of the affected women are believed to be nurses, working in the Lower Austrian district of Zwettl, who received the same batch of the vaccine
- One of them died as a result of severe coagulation disorders, while the other suffered a pulmonary embolism and survived
- An investigation has now been launched into the incidents, while authorities have suspended the batch as a precautionary measure
- The drug manufacturer said it supported the investigation but reiterated that the vaccine wasn’t associated with long-term adverse effects
- The U.K., E.U. and Australian authorities have all approved the two-shot vaccine after extensive testing found it safe to use
Authorities in Austria have suspended a batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from being administered after a woman died and another fell seriously ill.
Local media reports the two women affected were working as nurses in the Lower Austrian district of Zwettl when they received the same batch of the vaccine.
The 49-year-old woman died as a result of severe coagulation disorders, while a 35-year-old woman suffered a pulmonary embolism and but survived.
“The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care has received two reports in a temporal connection with a vaccination from the same batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the district clinic of Zwettl,” authorities explained.
“As a precautionary measure, the remaining stocks of the affected vaccine batch are no longer being issued or vaccinated,” the health office added.
Austrian authorities also confirmed an investigation has been launched into the incidents, while the specific batch of the vaccine remained suspended.
The drug manufacturer has released a statement to Reuters confirming it supports the Austrian investigation.
However, AstraZeneca noted that “there have been no confirmed serious adverse events associated with the vaccine.”
This version of the immunisation has been approved for use in over 50 countries, including in Australia, the U.K. and the European Union.
Regulators from all of those countries said testing showed the vaccine, which is administered via two doses, was safe to use.
Australia has bought more than 50 million doses of the vaccine, with pharmaceutical giant CSL to manufacture the majority of the jabs from its Melbourne facilities.