Austria continues AstraZeneca vaccine rollout despite blood clot reports

Austria has decided to continue using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine even after blood clot reports prompted some European countries to slam the brakes.

The national vaccination committee, the Federal Office for Health Safety, the European Medicines Agency and the ministry itself, as well as the federal states, would "clearly advocate the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine," the Health Ministry said in a statement after a video conference with experts and state health councilors late Thursday.

"The decision is made by experts. At the end of the review, you have to respect the result," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said at a press conference here on Friday, insisting that he would be vaccinated with AstraZeneca.

"There was no causal relationship, so I trust the experts," said the chancellor.

On Thursday, health authorities in Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of the formation of blood clots in some recently vaccinated people.

Austria's coronavirus infection rate continued to trend higher, with 3,126 new cases registered on Friday. It's the first time since early December the single-day tally tops 3,000.

The country's total infections now stand at 488,042, according to the Ministry of Interior.