ROME, March 15 (Reuters) - Italy on Monday suspended the use
of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, making it the latest
European country to put the product on hold following reports of
recipients falling ill.
The announcement came shortly after Germany took the same
step, and followed the seizure of hundreds of thousands of doses
of the vaccine by Italian prosecutors in the northern region of
Piedmont.
The Italian medicines authority AIFA said it was taking the
decision as a "precautionary and temporary measure" pending
rulings by the European Medicines Agency.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, writing by Gavin Jones, editing by
Crispian Balmer)