Sharjah24 – AFP: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states on Tuesday suspended immunization of pregnant women with the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on the advice of the national health regulator after a reported death.

The suspension was to remain in place until the health ministry establishes the cause of death of a woman in Rio de Janeiro who received the vaccine, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga told a news conference.

Queiroga said the call was made by a team of experts and was based "exclusively on technical criteria."

"It is not clear that the vaccine caused this blood clot. We are analyzing the details of the whole case to reach a conclusion and clarify what happened," said Jorge Kalil, a consultant for the National Vaccination Program, who took part in the press briefing.

Brazil's health regulator, Anvisa, recommended late Monday the "immediate suspension" of AstraZeneca vaccines for pregnant women in line with its "constant monitoring of adverse events with anti-Covid vaccines used in the country."

The Rio de Janeiro municipal health secretariat said in a statement that authorities had decided to suspend application of the vaccine to pregnant women and new mothers in the state capital "until the investigation of the case of an adverse event in a pregnant woman is completed by the Ministry of Health."

Other municipalities in the state adopted the same measure, and Sao Paulo state said it would also stop vaccinating women with comorbidities.

In all, 22 of Brazil's 27 states have taken similar steps, reported news site G1.

AstraZeneca said in a statement that pregnant and nursing mothers had been excluded from its vaccine tests, which it said was common practice in clinical trials.