Slovenia suspended vaccinations with the Janssen from Johnson & Johnson coronavirus jab while it probes the death of a 20-year-old woman, as thousands started gathering for a protest against vaccination in the small European Union nation.
The suspension will be in place until experts examine whether there is a link between the woman’s death from a stroke and the vaccine she had received two weeks earlier, said the country’s health minister Janez Poklukar.
The one-dose jabs have grown in popularity in recent weeks in Slovenia after authorities widely introduced Covid passes, including for going to work in all state-run firms.
The government has approved the purchase of an additional 100,000 J&J doses from Hungary in response to the growing demand.
However, “benefits continue to outweigh the risks”, Mr Poklukar said.
Still, the announcement is likely to fuel Wednesday’s protests planned in the capital, Ljubljana, against vaccination and coronavirus measures.
Previous similar protests have drawn thousands, and demonstrators recently clashed with police.
Like much of Central and Eastern Europe, Slovenia in recent weeks has seen a rise in infections.
The country of some two million people has fully vaccinated nearly 48% of the population, which is lower than in many other EU states.
Slovenia has recommended J&J vaccines to all people over 18 years old, unlike some countries who have limited its use to older people.
