Germany criticizes other countries’ decision to stop vaccination with AstraZeneca / Article / LSM.lv

German Health Minister Jens Span has criticized the decision of several countries to temporarily suspend vaccination with AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine. He emphasized that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed its risks.

A similar position also expressed by the European Medicines Agency, and on Friday, Margaret Harris, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, said there is no reason not to use this vaccine. The vaccine has now been suspended by several countries.

Meanwhile, our neighboring country Estonia does not plan to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine, but doctors are advised not to use the vaccine in people at risk of thrombosis. Vaccination with AstraZeneca will also continue in Lithuania.

Another position has been taken by countries such as Denmark, Norway and Iceland, which have temporarily stopped vaccinating the population with AstraZeneca. Bulgaria also took such a decision on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Austria announced that it was suspending doses of one particular series of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines because a nurse had died after receiving a vaccine for ‘serious blood clotting problems’.

Complications are very rare

However, the European Medicines Agency has not changed the safety assessment of this vaccine, as there is no evidence that these thrombotic events were caused by this vaccine. However, on Friday, AstraZeneca added the possibility of a severe allergic reaction to the list of side effects of the vaccine.

The European Medicines Agency explains that out of five million people in Europe who have received AstraZeneca, 30 have developed blood clots. But this is as common as these problems among unvaccinated people. And there is no evidence that these complications are related to receiving the vaccine.

German Health Minister Jens Span has stated that, after consulting with experts from the European Medicines Agency, he can say with confidence that there are not many cases of thrombosis associated with vaccination. France also continues to use the vaccine.

“At present, neither France nor Germany considers that there is a high risk. We are following the situation closely and if it changes, we will definitely make a decision, but there is no reason to stop vaccination with this vaccine at the moment, ”says Olivier Veran, the French Minister of Health.

Vaccine recipients are excited

As a precautionary measure, the Italian medicines regulator has banned the use of one of the AstraZeneca vaccine series. It is worrying that some people have developed blood clots after receiving the vaccine. The Italian regulator acknowledged that there was no direct link between the reports of complications with AstraZeneca and that an investigation was still ongoing.

The regulator’s sudden announcement surprised many unprepared and, for example, caused some chaos in a vaccination center in Calabria, as some people had already received an AstraZeneca pot in the morning.

“We are sorry for the people who came before us. If this vaccine is really dangerous and complications will follow, I don’t even know what to do. I would contact those vaccinated today as soon as possible, ”says a local.

The AstraZeneca vaccine series mentioned by the Italian regulator differs from the one that was suspended on Monday by Austria and later also by Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Luxembourg.

AstraZeneca’s problems are not just about vaccine safety. Reuters has received a document alleging that AstraZeneca has further reduced its projected supply of Covid-19 vaccines to the European Union in the first quarter. Namely, it is now planned to deliver 30 million doses, or one third of the contracted amount, and 25% less than promised last month.

The third wave has begun in Germany

Despite various problems, vaccination in European countries continues, although the fight against the pandemic is not getting any easier. For example, Italy is again thinking about tightening restrictions. The level of infection is also rising in Germany.

“The situation remains serious. The number of infections is rising again. Slowly, but it is growing. And mutations spread. We must be ready for the very challenging weeks ahead, during which we will continue to try to balance the necessary health security measures with the daily life to which we so desperately want to return, ”admits German Health Minister Span.

Lothar Wheeler, president of the Robert Koha Institute, warned that the third wave of the coronavirus had already begun in Germany, adding that although vaccination had begun, precautions such as the use of face masks and distancing were still to be followed.

If there are no disruptions, for example in the production of vaccines, 80% of the German population is expected to be immune to the virus by the autumn. If that happens, one could think of lifting all restrictions, Wheeler said.

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