Vaccination using one AstraZeneca vaccine batch has been temporarily suspended in Lithuania after Austrian authorities announced investigation into suspected complications, Lithuania's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
“The State Medicines Control Agency has today received information from competent Austrian institutions and recommended temporary suspending the use of AstraZeneca's ABV5300 batch,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.
On Sunday, Austria suspended inoculations with a batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine while investigating the death of one person and the illness of another after the shots.
Austria's Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) said there was no evidence yet that vaccines caused the complications and the suspension was a precaution.
One 49-year-old woman died as a result of severe coagulation disorders, while a 35-year-old woman developed a pulmonary embolism and is recovering, the agency said. Both were innoculated with vaccines from the same batch in Lower Austria province.
A pulmonary embolism is an acute lung disease caused by a dislodged blood clot.
“The Health Ministry and international experts stress that there is no cause for concern. Based on clinical trial data, thromboembolic events are not attributed to typical adverse reactions to the AstraZeneca vaccine,” the Lithuanian ministry said.
It also said some 9,600 vaccines from the batch were delivered to Lithuania on February 11, with 1,932 dozes still unused.
Vaccines from the ABV5300 batch have been delivered to 17 EU member states. So far, Luxembourg, Estonia, Greece, Austria and Lithuania have temporarily suspended their use.
In mid-January, Lithuania temporarily suspended the use of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccines after the Health Ministry was informed about a possible violation of the cold chain during transportation. But following official confirmation from the Pfizer representation in Lithuania, the vaccination process was resumed.
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