Denmark on Monday became the first country to exclude Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 shots from its vaccination program over a potential link to a rare but serious form of blood clot.

The move comes after the Nordic country last month stopped using AstraZeneca's vaccine altogether citing similar concerns.

The country's health authority said in a statement it had found that "the benefits of using the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson do not outweigh the risk of causing the possible adverse effect in those who receive the vaccine."