A study conducted in Denmark and Norway has noted slightly raised rates of vein blood clots among individuals who received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, including clots in the brain, in comparison with expected rates in the general population.

However, the investigators emphasized that such side effects are extremely rare, and the benefits of the vaccine still outweigh the risks in most circumstances. Norway had paused the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 11 following some cases of blood clots with bleeding and low platelet levels. Denmark also halted the use of the vaccine.

The study, published in BMJ, assessed 280,000 individuals aged 18-65 years in Denmark and Norway who had been given a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the beginning of February till March 11… (Reuters, May 6, 2021)