Denmark has temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

In announcing its decision, Denmark’s health authorities said that there have been “reports of severe cases of blood clots in people who have been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca.”

It is unclear whether the blood-clotting came about as a result of taking the vaccine.

AstraZeneca, in a statement to CNBC, said

“Patient safety is the highest priority for AstraZeneca”. 

“Regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. The safety of the vaccine has been extensively studied in Phase III clinical trials and Peer-reviewed data confirms the vaccine is generally well-tolerated,”

the vaccine manufacturer said.

Denmark joins five other European countries that have now temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Austria decided to stop administering from a particular batch follows the death of a woman 10 days after taking it. 

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxemburg have also stopped giving jabs from the batch while they wait for the full findings of the investigation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which on Wednesday said that there is currently no evidence to link the AstraZeneca vaccine to the death of the Austrian woman.

EU regulators approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on January 30.

Jamaica on Wednesday began administering 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which are gifts from the Government of India.