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Number of thrombosis cases following AstraZeneca jab rises to 13 in Germany

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Number of thrombosis cases following AstraZeneca jab rises to 13 in Germany
Eine Hinweistafel weist darauf hin, dass der Weg zum Impfzentrum das Wenden erfordert. Die Infektionszahlen steigen, gleichzeitig fallen geplante Impfungen mit dem Impfstoff Astrazeneca aus. +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

The German Health Ministry announced on Thursday that a total of 13 cases of cerebral thrombosis have been reported following the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, while the number of fatalities remains at three.

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Twelve of the cases involved women and only one involved a man. The affected individuals were aged between 20 and 63, the health ministry has stated.

Germany paused used of the vaccine on Monday pending a review of its safety by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which arrived on Thursday afternoon.

The EMA decision stated that the AstraZeneca jab is safe to use, but from now on a warning about possible side effects will list rare instances of thrombosis.

READ ALSO: AstraZeneca vaccine is 'safe and effective' against Covid-19, European Medical Agency concludes

The approval by the EMA was expected by doctors and medical experts in Germany, who had nonetheless assumed that it might come with restrictions based on age or whether a woman was using contraceptive pills.

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"There could perhaps be an authorisation with restrictions - for example, only for certain age groups or without simultaneous use of the pill," said Frank Bergmann, head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, on Thursday morning.

Health Minister Jens Spahn promised on Thursday that Germany would consider the decision of the EMA as binding, meaning that vaccinations with the AstraZeneca formula should now go ahead as previously.

Spahn is expected to comment on the approval later on Thursday.

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