BERLIN (Reuters) – The decision of more than a dozen European countries to suspend the AstraZeneca COVID-19 injection faced an in-depth scrutiny on Wednesday, amid fears that the measure could undermine public confidence and delay efforts to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany’s role, and in particular that of Health Minister Jens Spahn, is in the spotlight after a chaotic round of telephone diplomacy earlier in the week ended with the EU’s biggest states agreeing to put AstraZeneca on hold.
Spahn says he acted on expert advice after Germany’s vaccine watchdog reported what he described as a statistically significant number of cases of a rare blood clot in the brain.
AstraZeneca claims to have found no evidence that the blood clots were caused by the vaccine. The World Health Organization has urged countries not to delay life-saving vaccine programs.
Germany’s actions were interpreted as political both at home and abroad, with opposition leaders asking Chancellor Angela Merkel to fire Spahn. Officials from major European capitals gave mixed reports on how the joint action came to stop AstraZeneca.
The stop at AstraZeneca threatens to disrupt Europe’s vaccination campaign as a third wave of infection spreads across the continent, accelerated by more infectious variants.
The bloc is already far behind the United States and the former EU member, Britain, in vaccinating citizens. Hospitals are filling up again, and politicians in several European countries have been forced to consider new blockades, even as comparable wealthy countries are preparing for a return to normal life.
“We need this vaccine,” said Germany’s best-known virologist, Christian Drosten, whose regular podcast is widely followed. He cited predictions of a resurgence of Easter infection that could endanger Germans over 60, who are next in line for an injection.
Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading in Britain, said the blood clot problem “was discovered by politicians who cannot distinguish one side of the virus from the other.”
“It’s like falling dominoes. You only need one or two (countries) to declare that there is a problem and discontinue use, and then many more will take effect. I don’t think there was any independent decision, ”he told Reuters.
A MATTER OF CONFIDENCE
Germany took action after its vaccine oversight body, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, found seven cases of a very rare brain vein clot among 1.6 million people who received the AstraZeneca injection in the country, including three fatal cases.
The EU drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is investigating reports of about 30 cases of blood clots, bleeding and low platelet counts among the 5 million people in the EU who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
She will present her findings on Thursday, but in the meantime, she has found no causal link to the vaccine and says the benefits of the injection clearly outweigh any risks.
“We are concerned that there may be an effect on vaccine confidence,” EMA chief Emer Cooke told reporters. “But our job is to make sure that the products we authorize are safe and reliable.”
AstraZeneca Plc said it conducted a review covering more than 17 million people who received their vaccines in the EU and Britain, and found no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.
However, a small majority of Germans believe it was right for the government to suspend AstraZeneca, a Forsa opinion poll showed on Wednesday, with 54% supporting Spahn’s decision and 39% saying it was excessive.
The Germans’ willingness to be vaccinated against COVID, however, by 71%, has dropped two percentage points since the last Forsa survey on March 3. If AstraZeneca were to be reinstated, 63% would be willing to accept it.
NO PRESSURE
Officials in European capitals gave conflicting reports about a turbulent round of diplomacy on Monday that prompted Italy, France and Spain to follow Germany in suspending the shot.
Sources said Merkel called Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi to inform him. A top Italian health official called Italy’s suspension a political decision not to part with Germany.
Italian sources said Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed by phone that the measure was temporary and preventive.
A major German government source denied that Berlin exerted any pressure, noting that smaller EU countries, such as Austria and Belgium, had already raised the alarm.
“Nobody is being forced to do anything,” said the German source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This is not how the EU works.”
Amidst the European controversy, frustration with the management of the Spahn pandemic has spilled over among Germany’s conservative rulers, who have just suffered defeats in two regional elections. Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) are languishing with a year-long drop in polls ahead of a general election in September, in which she will not seek a fifth record term.
His successor as president of the CDU, Armin Laschet, a candidate for candidacy for chancellor, criticized AstraZeneca’s delay as “bad news”. Rival Bavarian governor Markus Soeder has asked that the injection be made available to anyone who wants it.
Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in BERLIN, Giselda Vagnoni in ROME, Michel Rose in PARIS, Nathan Allen and Belen Carreno in MADRID and Kate Kelland in LONDON; Written by Douglas Busvine; Peter Graff’s Edition