Germany, Italy and France have become the latest countries to suspend the vaccine’s use. They join several other smaller European nations to put the vaccine on hold while blood clot concerns are checked out. AstraZeneca, the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation all say the vaccine is safe to use, but Germany’s Paul Ehrlich Institute, an authority on vaccines, recommended the suspension while analysis was undertaken. Reports say the number of blood clots reported by vaccinated patients is in line with those typically reported by the general population. And they’re talking about small numbers – about 17 million people in the European Union and the UK have received a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and 37 cases of blood clots have been reported. On the weekend, our Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said that the “AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is effective, it is safe, and it’s a high-quality vaccine,” and backed its ongoing use here.