The South Korean government has temporarily suspended AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations over a possible link to rare blood clots.

The nation’s vaccination task force made the decision on Wednesday after calling an emergency meeting of advisers. 

The ad-hoc agency said the suspension was made ahead of the European Medicines Agency’s(EMA) conclusion on the vaccine’s connection to the blood clots, adding inoculations will begin after a review of the EMA announcement. 

Vaccinations planned for around 180-thousand people, including over 70-thousand special education and health teachers and medical staff at schools and childcare centers, have now been postponed. Inoculations for these groups were to start Thursday.

Other groups affected are nearly 110-thousand healthcare workers for the elderly, the disabled and patients with other infectious diseases as well as employees at homeless shelters and correctional institutions. Their vaccinations with the AstraZeneca shots were to begin from Friday. 

The task force also decided to suspend ongoing inoculations for those aged under 60, with around 38-thousand people eligible, including those working at nursing homes and hospitals.