French COVID-19 vaccine drive stalls as Macron halts AstraZeneca jabs

French President Emmanuel Macron has suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the country for at least 24 hours.

Other European countries, including Germany, Italy Ireland and the Netherlands, have taken similar action amid growing concern about blood clots reported in Denmark and Norway.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence the episodes in question are caused by the vaccine.

Macron called the move "precautionary" and said its continuation depended on the outcome of a statement from the European Medicines Agency on Tuesday.

"The decision has been made to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution [and we are] hoping that we can resume it quickly if the judgment of the EMA allows it," Macron told a news conference.

He added: "We have a simple guide, to be informed by science and the competent health authorities and to do it as part of a European strategy."

The decision reverses previous guidance from French health authorities and overshadowed the first day of French pharmacies carrying out COVID-19 vaccinations.

All French drug stores hoping to offer the vaccine were scheduled to use the AstraZeneca dose. Only a small number of vaccines could be carried out before the suspension was announced.

France is trying to make up ground on its neighbors after a slow start to its inoculation strategy, which was beset by logistical bottlenecks and problems with deliveries from vaccine makers.

The move to open up the vaccine campaign to pharmacies was part of a drive to accelerate the inoculation program at a time when France is struggling to contain a third wave of infections.

France has the world's sixth-highest total of COVID-19 cases and is facing a deteriorating situation, especially in the north, east and capital regions.

Some patients in need of urgent care have already been evacuated from the Greater Paris region by plane.

The occupancy rate of intensive care beds in the Paris capital region is 96 percent, with more than 4,000 people being treated for COVID-19 in urgent care wards.

Charter planes have taken some patients from Paris to Bordeaux, where hospitals have more capacity to deal with infections.

Others will travel in special high-speed trains kitted out to be able to transfer multiple patients at the same time.

Macron warned: "We will have to take new measures without doubt in the coming days."

A nationwide curfew has been in place in France since mid-December 2020 and some areas are under weekend lockdowns.

(CGTN)