Brazil states halt vaccination of pregnant women after Rio death

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) Brazilian states halted vaccination of pregnant women on Tuesday after a death in Rio de Janeiro led health regulator Anvisa to warn against the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine for expecting mothers. A pregnant woman in Rio de Janeiro died after receiving the AstraZeneca shot, according to state Health Secretary Alexandre Chieppe, in a case authorities are still investigating. Brazil's Sao Paulo state suspended Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women with risk factors and Rio state suspended immunization of all pregnant women. Both states cited the Anvisa recommendation as a reason for the decision. The Health Ministry said it is investigating the case, newspaper Folha de São Paulo reported, citing a statement from the ministry late on Monday. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The AstraZeneca shot is produced and distributed in Brazil via a partnership with public health institute Fiocruz. AstraZeneca and Fiocruz did not immediately respond to requests for comment.    MENAFN11052021000067011011ID1102066807