Spain, Germany, France, and Italy Also Suspend AZ Vaccinations

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[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Germany, France, Italy, and Spain decided on the 15th (local time) to temporarily suspend AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine inoculations. This measure follows Denmark and Norway leading the way, along with the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Iceland, and Bulgaria, in postponing AZ vaccine inoculations.

Jens Spahn, Germany's Minister of Health, stated at a press conference that day, "Following the recommendation of the Paul-Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which is responsible for vaccine approval, we have decided to temporarily suspend both the first and second doses of the AZ vaccine."

Minister Spahn emphasized, "To maintain trust in the AZ vaccine, experts from Germany and the EU need to conduct a more detailed investigation," adding, "Side effects must not ultimately outweigh the benefits of vaccination."

Currently, 1.6 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Germany. Regarding those who have already received the AZ vaccine, he said, "If you feel unwell for more than four days after vaccination, you should immediately seek medical treatment," and noted, "So far, there have been seven confirmed cases potentially linked to cerebral thrombosis following vaccination."

France, which had previously maintained a stance to continue AZ vaccinations, will also pause inoculations until the European Medicines Agency (EMA) makes a decision. President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference held immediately after Germany's announcement, "I hope that the EMA's evaluation of AstraZeneca's safety will be favorable so that vaccinations can resume quickly."

President Macron, who was criticized in January for claiming without evidence that the AZ vaccine was ineffective for those over 65, has since publicly declared his intention to receive the AZ vaccine.

The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) also announced on the same day that it would prohibit the use of the AZ vaccine nationwide for a period as a precautionary measure.

In Italy, there have been recent cases of sudden death following vaccination with the AZ vaccine. In Sicily, a 43-year-old naval officer and a 50-year-old police officer died after receiving the vaccine with batch number 'ABV2856.' In the Piedmont region, a 58-year-old teacher died one day after receiving the vaccine with batch number 'ABV5811.' Both vaccine batches have been proactively suspended from use.

The Spanish government will also suspend AZ vaccine inoculations for at least two weeks until expert evaluations are completed. Carolina Darias, Minister of Health, described it as a "temporary, precautionary measure" and said, "We will wait for the EMA's decision."

On the other hand, there are opposing views that the temporary suspension of AZ vaccinations is a mistake.

Karl Lauterbach, a health expert from Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), tweeted immediately after the German government's announcement of the temporary suspension, stating, "Based on the data so far, this is a mistake," and added, "It would have been better not to suspend vaccinations but to conduct investigations simultaneously, considering the rare frequency of complications."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also expressed confidence at a press conference that day, saying the AZ vaccine is very safe and that vaccinations should continue, according to BBC and other broadcasters. He emphasized, "The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the world's most rigorous and experienced regulator, has determined there is no reason to halt AstraZeneca vaccinations."

MHRA stated that there is no evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots and recommended continuing vaccinations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and EMA have stated that there is no established causal relationship between the vaccine and blood clot formation and see no reason to stop using the AZ vaccine.

EMA announced that its safety committee will conduct an additional review of the AZ vaccine on the 16th and hold a meeting on the 18th to discuss further measures.

EMA added that it continues to hold the view that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects.

AZ also stated in a statement released the previous day that a safety review of more than 17 million people vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine in the EU and the UK showed no evidence of increased risk of blood clots.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.