Slovenia suspended the application of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday as it investigates the death of a 20-year-old woman and thousands of people protest against vaccination in the small European Union nation.
The suspension will be in effect until experts analyze whether there is a link between the woman’s death from a stroke and the vaccine she received two weeks earlier, Health Minister Janez Poklukar reported.
Single-dose injections have gained popularity in recent weeks in Slovenia after the authorities widely introduced so-called COVID passes, which are now necessary even to go to work in all state-owned companies. The government approved the purchase of 100,000 additional doses of J&J from Hungary in response to growing demand.
The woman’s death this week was the second serious case of adverse effects from Johnson & Johnson injections in some 120,000 people in Slovenia, the official STA news agency reported.
However, “the benefits continue to outweigh the risks,” Poklukar said.
Still, the announcement is likely to fuel protests planned for later Wednesday in the capital, Ljubljana, against vaccination and anti-coronavirus measures.
Similar protests have drawn thousands in the past and protesters recently clashed with the police. Before Wednesday’s protest, police put up metal fences and urged participants to remain calm.
Like much of central and eastern Europe, Slovenia has seen an increase in infections in recent weeks. The country of about 2 million people has fully vaccinated almost 48% of the population, which is less than in many other EU states.
Slovenia has recommended Johnson & Johnson vaccines to everyone over the age of 18, unlike some countries that have limited their use to older adults.
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