Two Danish patients have brain hemorrhages following AstraZeneca shot

Two people in Denmark suffered brain hemorrhages after receiving AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, according to multiple reports.

Two hospital staff members received the vaccine less than 14 days before experiencing brain bleeds, Reuters reported. The Danish Medicines Agency confirmed it received two “serious reports,” but didn’t give further details on the matter.

The New York Times reported that one of the patients died, and the other, a woman in her 30s, is critically ill.

The Hill has reached out to AstraZeneca for comment.

The reports are the latest amid a series of media reports of a small number of people suffering blood clots following shots of AstraZeneca’s vaccine. The news also represents the second death in Denmark following the administering of the British-Swedish company’s vaccine. 

Denmark halted the use of the vaccine on March 11 after a 60-year-old woman died from a blood clot following the shot. Other nations, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Norway, have also blocked its use. 

The vaccine has yet to be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

AstraZeneca said last Sunday that there was no evidence linking the vaccine to blood clots after reviewing 17 million shots administered across Europe.

The European Medicines Agency, the drug regulator of the European Union, said on Thursday that AstraZeneca’s vaccine is safe and effective to use, but didn’t rule out a link to blood clots. The agency said it would add a warning to the product about the possibility of the side effect.

Reuters noted that some countries have reversed their decisions after the European agency’s announcement. 

The World Health Organization has recommended that countries continue using the vaccine, saying that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks.