Last checked at 
(Adds confirmation of temporary suspension, detail)
DUBLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Ireland temporarily suspended
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday following new
information received from the Norwegian Medicines Agency
regarding blood clotting in some recipients there, the country's
health ministry said.
Three health workers in Norway who had recently received the
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were being treated in hospital for
bleeding, blood clots and a low count of blood platelets, its
health authorities said on Saturday.
Health authorities in Denmark, Norway and Iceland have
suspended the use of the vaccine over the issues, while Austria
stopped using a batch of AstraZeneca shots last week while
investigating a death from coagulation disorders.
Ireland's National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC)
recommended the temporary deferral of the administration of the
vaccine "out of an abundance of caution", pending the receipt of
more information from European regulators in the coming days.
"The decision to temporarily suspend use of the AstraZeneca
Covid-19 vaccine was based on new information from Norway that
emerged late last night. This is a precautionary step," Health
Minister Stephen Donnelly said on Twitter.
AstraZeneca vaccinations make up 20% of the 590,000 shots
administered among Ireland's 4.9 million population, mainly to
healthcare workers after its use was not initially recommended
for those over 70 and the firm supplied far fewer vaccines to
the European Union than agreed.
NIAC said that if it could be ascertained that the events
were coincidental and not caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine, it
would reassess the situation.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said
she had sought clarification from the British region's health
minister about the temporary suspension of the use of the
AstraZeneca vaccine elsewhere.
Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is
much further ahead in its programme and has inoculated more than
40% of the adult population, relying heavily on AstraZeneca's
vaccine.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Louise Heavens and
Bernadette Baum)
