A healthcare professional prepares a syringe with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 dose at Coria City Hospital, Spain.
Gustavo Valiente | SOPA images | LightRocket via Getty Images
LONDON – Health experts say they are disappointed and confused by the flood of suspensions of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, warning that there is still not enough data to justify these decisions.
Sweden and Latvia joined a growing list of European countries on Tuesday that suspend the use of the vaccine as a precautionary measure after reports of blood clots. Germany, France, Italy and Spain said on Monday that everyone would stop managing the shot.
Other countries, such as Austria, have temporarily stopped the use of certain batches of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. On Friday, Thailand became the first Asian country to suspend the use of the shot for security reasons.
The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia – which continue to implant the vaccine – are among some of the countries that seek to reassure citizens about its benefits.
The World Health Organization, Europe’s drug regulator and the International Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis have recommended that countries continue to use the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
There is still no evidence of data that really justifies these decisions.
Michael Head
Senior Global Health Research Fellow at the University of Southampton
“The decisions of France, Germany and other countries look bewildering,” said Dr. Michael Head, senior researcher in Global Health at the University of Southampton, UK
“The data we have suggests that the number of adverse events related to blood clots is the same (and possibly, in fact lower) in the vaccinated groups compared to the unvaccinated populations,” he continued.
“Interrupting the launch of a vaccine during a pandemic has consequences. It results in delays in protecting people and the potential for increased vaccine hesitation as a result of people who saw the headlines and understandably were concerned. There are no signs yet. of any data that really justifies those decisions, “added Head.
WHO experts will meet on Tuesday to assess the safety of the shot.
The European Medicines Agency, which is also evaluating the drug’s safety, said there was no indication that it was causing blood clots, adding that it believed the benefits of the vaccine “continue to outweigh the risks”.
What did AstraZeneca say?
More than 17 million people in the European Union and the UK received a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, with less than 40 cases of blood clots recorded last week, AstraZeneca said in a statement.
The pharmaceutical giant said that across the EU and the UK there were 15 events of deep vein thrombosis and 22 events of pulmonary embolism reported among those vaccinated.
“This is much smaller than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar to other licensed COVID-19 vaccines,” said AstraZeneca.
The EMA also said that the data available so far show that the number of blood clots in vaccinated people is not higher than that seen in the general population.
One vial of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Igor Petyx | KONTROLAB | LightRocket via Getty Images
Europe’s caution about the drug has aggravated the problems of the region’s vaccination campaign and comes at a time when Germany’s public health agency has warned that a third wave of coronavirus infections has already begun.
Dr. Stephen Griffin, an associate professor at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, said the news that many countries in Europe have suspended the launch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was “disappointing”.
“Since many European countries are experiencing another resurgence of SARS-CoV2 infections and are still lagging behind in terms of implantation, the importance of continuing vaccination programs cannot be underestimated, and the damage caused by depriving people with access to a vaccine are likely to overcome even the worst case scenario, if any link to coagulation disorders is eventually found, “said Griffin.
“It should also be noted that national gestures like this tend to fuel hesitation, or a more extreme anti-vaccination feeling, further undermining the vaccination effort,” he added.
How does the vaccine work?
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is an injection designed to prevent the coronavirus in people aged 18 and over. It consists of an adenovirus that has been modified to contain the gene for the production of a SARS-CoV-2 protein, the virus that causes Covid-19. As such, the vaccine does not contain the virus and cannot cause Covid.
The most common side effects of the injection are usually mild or moderate and improve a few days after vaccination.
End-stage clinical trials found that the AstraZeneca-Oxford injection had an average 70% effectiveness in protecting against the virus.
“We are reviewing the reports closely, but the available evidence does not suggest that the vaccine is the cause,” said Dr. Phil Bryan, vaccine safety leader at the UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency.
“Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon. More than 11 million doses of AZ vaccine have been administered across the UK, and the number of blood clots reported after the vaccine is not greater than the number that would have occurred naturally in the vaccinated population “, he continued.
“We are working closely with international counterparts to understand the global safety experience of COVID-19 vaccines and to quickly share data and safety reports. People should still get their COVID-19 vaccine when requested,” said Bryan. .