Bulgaria suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine after woman's death

Bulgaria on Friday suspended the use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford after the death of a vaccinated woman, reported Xinhua.

Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said at a briefing that the 57-year-old woman received the vaccine at noon on Thursday and returned home "without complaints" but died at 3 a.m. on Friday.

"At first glance, the woman had a lot of underlying conditions. She was overweight, and underwent heart surgery in 2005," the minister said.

The temporary suspension of the use of AstraZeneca's vaccines was "a preventive measure," Angelov said.

Bulgaria would take the final decision on vaccination with AstraZeneca after the release of the conclusion of forensic pathologists in seven days, he said.

Vaccination in Bulgaria would continue with the other two vaccines authorized in the country -- those produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, said the minister.