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OSLO, April 23 (Reuters) - Norway will offer those who have
received a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against
COVID-19 to take an injection from an mRNA vaccine as their
second dose, the health ministry said on Friday.
Norway on March 11 suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca
vaccine after a small number of younger people were hospitalised
for a combination of blood clots, bleeding and a low count of
platelets, some of whom later died.
It is now awaiting a report from a government-appointed
commission due on May 10 on whether to resume its rollout, but
this decision will come too late for those who received the
AstraZeneca vaccine.
"A clarification about second doses is needed before the ...
commission delivers its report," Health Minister Bent Hoeie said
in a statement.
"Therefore those who have received a shot from the
AstraZeneca vaccine will be offered second doses from (the
vaccines developed by) Pfizer and BioNTech
and Moderna."
Some 135,000 people, mainly health workers, received the
AstraZeneca vaccine before its rollout was suspended.
Norway becomes the latest country to mix vaccines, together
with Denmark, Finland, France and Germany.
(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik)