The suspensions of AstraZeneca vaccine were first announced at Denmark, in Norway in Iceland then extended to the Netherlands and since yesterday March 15 in Germany, in France and in Italy. In all, 14 European countries are now concerned. Outside of Europe, Thailand and the Republic of Congo have taken a similar decision.
Most such a wave of suspensions from AstraZeneca was it really essential? Not according to several countries such as United Kingdom, australia or the Belgium, who continue to trust the British vaccine. Here are their reasons.
Follow our live from this Tuesday March 16 devoted to the coronavirus epidemic.
No serious cases have been observed in the UK which mass vaccinated with AstraZeneca
When we talk about the AstraZeneca vaccine, it is interesting to look at the case of the United Kingdom because this country has used this vaccine en masse. “We know more about the AstraZeneca vaccine than about other vaccines”, reminded the virologist Christine Rouzioux to West France on March 12, when more than 22 million people received at least one first dose in the country.
“We have fairly significant experience feedback, much higher than what we can get with clinical trials”, continued the specialist, adding that such a decline would have alerted to serious side effects in the United Kingdom. However, no serious effects or major problems have been observed in this country. The British government continues to use this vaccine called “Safe and effective”.
Read also: Covid-19. Low risk, very effective… Why you should not be afraid of the AstraZeneca vaccine
The vaccine remains “a safe, effective protection” against the Covid
The coronavirus epidemic is still strong. And this AstraZeneca vaccine has proven its effectiveness: a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine indeed reduces the risk of hospitalization by more than 80%, estimate the English health services.
“To stop this vaccination campaign knowing that there is such a circulation of the virus would be irresponsible, because it is a sure, effective protection against this disease”, therefore ruled the Belgian Federal Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke, asked about the RTBF March 15. This is why his country has decided, against the tide of its European neighbors, to continue to vaccinate with AstraZeneca.
Wait a few days? Time lost in the “race against time”
Guest on the set of the Belgian public service of the RTBF, the Federal Minister of Health was asked about the advisability of waiting a few days for the opinion of the European Medicines Agency. But according to him, we cannot afford such a break.
“It’s a race against time”, he justified. “At the moment, there is a real increase in contamination, a significant increase in the number of hospitalizations, in the number of people who must be treated in intensive care”, he added.
The number of cases of thrombosis remains extremely rare and there is no proven link with vaccination
The reason given for a suspension of AstraZeneca vaccine is the risk of cases of thrombosis. However, nothing links these cases of pulmonary embolism with a vaccination against Covid support the United Kingdom, Belgium or even Australia who have not suspended this vaccine. The number of cases of thrombosis is also similar to that of the rest of the population.
As Marc Van Ranst, a Belgian virologist, explains at the RTBF , there were even more cases of blood clots in the control group during clinical trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine (that is, among the people in the study who did not receive a vaccine) than in the group who received the vaccine. 4 cases were thus identified among the 12,021 people who received the vaccine, against 8 cases in the 11,724 people who did not receive it.
“We are examining the data carefully, but given the large number of doses administered and the natural frequency of these cases of thrombosis, the available data do not demonstrate that the vaccine is the cause”, British doctor Phil Bryan explained to the BBC, head of vaccine safety at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the equivalent of the National Medicines Safety Agency in France.
In addition, as Belgium and the United Kingdom point out, these cases remain extremely rare and out of all proportion to the number of lives saved by the AstraZeneca vaccine. Denmark evoked only about thirty cases out of 5 million vaccinated.
These countries follow the recommendations of the WHO or the European Medicines Agency
The World Health Organization reminded us again yesterday Monday March 15, vaccination with AstraZeneca can continue. “To date, there is no evidence that the incidents are caused by the vaccine and it is important that the vaccination campaign continues to continue saving lives”, considers the international body.
Comments in line with those made so far by the European Medicines Agency, which is due to meet again on March 16 and whose opinion is awaited.
The benefit / risk balance remains ultra-favorable for the vaccine
Either way, and even though a link was proven between vaccination with AstraZeneca and pulmonary embolism or other serious but rare side effects, the vaccine continues to save more lives than it puts at risk. . And by far. The benefit / risk ratio, crucial when talking about a vaccine, therefore remains ultra-favorable to AstraZeneca, these countries believe.
“If there are significant secondary efforts, it is painful. But we have to make the balance ”, assured Frank Vandenbroucke. Because the coronavirus remains very dangerous: “Among those who have been infected and have fallen ill … There are often cases of thrombosis caused by the disease”, he added.
In France, many scientists criticize the suspension
Are Belgium, UK or Australia right to trust AstraZeneca? Was the suspension decided by several countries including France rushed? In any case, this is what several scientists in France say.
“This political decision is more than embarrassing […] there is more risk of death from Covid-19 than risk of thrombosis – which can be monitored ”, denounced the general practitioner Marcel Ichou on LCI, like many of these colleagues.
“This political decision is more than embarrassing […] there is a greater risk of death of the #Covid_19 that risk of thrombosis – which can be monitored “
Dr Ichou expresses his dissatisfaction with @LaMatinaleLCI @PascaledeLaTour #AstraZenaca pic.twitter.com/nqyIYStEUH
– La Matinale LCI (@LaMatinaleLCI) March 16, 2021
“Suspend TUE vaccination”, simply recalls on Twitter Karine Lacombe, infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist, head of the Infectious Diseases department at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris.
Nothing better to say: SUSPEND vaccination #COVID19 TUE. https://t.co/o0fNN4ZoPJ
— Karine Lacombe #ZeroCovid (@LacombeKarine1) March 15, 2021
Sure BFMTV, the head of the infectious diseases department at Tenon hospital in Paris, Gilles Pialoux, for his part judged “Surprising” the decision of the French government to suspend injections of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Covid-19: Professor Gilles Pialloux finds the decision to suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine “surprising” pic.twitter.com/Y010oX9HZ7
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) March 16, 2021
“We are in an ultra-rare phenomenon. As the WHO said, there is no reason why the risk benefit is against the vaccine, but unfortunately the damage is done ”, he lamented.
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