As an additional precautionary measure, Latvia has temporarily suspended vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine

As a precautionary measure, on 15 March, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the National Immunisation Council (IVP), the State Agency of Medicines (ZVA), and the Health Inspectorate (VI) have recommended a suspension of vaccination against Covid-19 with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Latvia for up to two weeks. The decision is based on reports from individual European Union countries of thromboembolic and similar event cases observed at various times after receiving the vaccine.

However, it is also emphasised that to date there is no data on a causal link between vaccination and serious health problems. The decision to suspend vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine has only been taken as a precautionary measure until a causal assessment of the reported cases will have been received.

To date, no report has been approved in Latvia in which the indicated health disorders are similar to those reported in other European Union countries in connection with the thromboembolic signal, which is currently being reviewed by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency. Information on received Covid-19 vaccine side-effect reports is regularly published on the website of the State Agency of Medicines.

The Latvian authorities will provide further information on the outcome of the evaluation.