ROME: Italy's medicines authority Aifa said on Thursday it would ban the use of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine belonging to the ABV2856 batch after notifications of some serious adverse effects.

Aifa said that the move was "precautionary" as no link between the inoculation of the vaccine and these events had been established to date.

The agency is carrying out all required checks and the batch will be analysed by Italy's Superior Health Institute ISS, it added.