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Seven European countries have suspended vaccination with AstraZeneca. Post-vaccination fatalities have been reported in Denmark and Austria. Does that mean we should be concerned about this vaccine? – It is more likely that a meteorite will hit us than we will experience serious side effects – says virologist Dr. Tomasz Dzie citkowski.
- Austria, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia have suspended vaccination with AstraZeneki
- The reason for the suspicion that the vaccine could cause blood clots and pulmonary embolism and two fatalities
- Is this vaccine, also used in Poland, dangerous? This question was answered by Dr. Tomasz Dzieścitkowski, a virologist
- There is no causal relationship between these events and vaccination. There is only a temporal relationship – says Dzieścitkowski.
- More information about vaccinations can be found on the Onet homepage.
AstraZeneki vaccine – vaccinations suspended in seven countries
Denmark stopped vaccinating its citizens with AstraZeneki after serious blood clots had developed in several people who had been vaccinated, and one of them died.
Earlier, Austria made a similar move. There, a 49-year-old nurse died after receiving a vaccine from this company, and another woman had a pulmonary embolism and is convalescing. Vaccinations with this preparation were also suspended in Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Latvia.
On Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency said there was no evidence linking AstraZeneki to the two Austrian cases mentioned. EMA also said 3 of the more than 9 million people vaccinated by March 22 had developed a blood clot.
AstraZeneca in Poland: will it be suspended?
The AstraZeneca vaccine is also used in Poland. This preparation is vaccinated for teachers, people in the 60-69 age group, as well as people from the “0” group who have not yet registered for vaccination.
On Thursday, the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski, was asked about this vaccine.
- Seven European countries have suspended the use of AstraZeneki
– We are looking at this case – explained Niedzielski. – We have our man in the EMA (European Medicines Agency), the head of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products, Grzegorz Cessak. He is our liaison with the EMA – explained Niedzielski.
– We already have one opinion of the EMA, which shows that there is no direct link between the deaths and the vaccine, and we do not observe such risks and situations in our country – added the minister.
AstraZeneki vaccine: do we have anything to fear?
Adrian Dąbek, Medonet: Denmark and Austria suspended vaccination after deaths among vaccinated people. Five other European countries have made a similar decision. Do we have reasons to be concerned about the AstraZeneki vaccine?
Dr. Tomasz Dzieiątkowski, virologist: We do not have. Mainly because no one has so far shown a cause-and-effect relationship between these events and vaccination. There is only a temporal relationship. Establishing such a relationship is absolutely advisable, because if we do not do it, we do not really know anything.
- How do I deal with the side effects of vaccination? [WE EXPLAIN]
The European Medicines Agency reported that out of 3 million people vaccinated with AstraZeneca, 22 had a blood clot.
Two months ago, there were reports of anaphylactic shocks following the administration of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. However, later it turned out that the scale of the phenomenon is from 5 to 11 cases per million doses of the vaccine administered. We are more likely to be hit by a meteorite.
AstraZeneca: it is believed to be based on old data
Why the belief that the AstraZeneki vaccine is “an inferior vaccine”?
This is due to the fact that the first reports of its effectiveness were conducted on a six-week schedule. And there, indeed, this effectiveness was not overwhelming, because it amounted to about sixty-several percent. However, it later turned out that there was no complete information on the effectiveness and safety of vaccinations in seniors. It was related to, and still entails, that we have conditional approval of vaccines on the market and we should be aware that the data from clinical trials will be provided on an ongoing basis.
- Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine approved. What do we know about her?
At the moment, this vaccine is approved for patients up to 69 years of age, because such a group has already been sufficiently tested. And then it turned out that extending the interval between the first and second doses to 10-12 weeks increases the effectiveness of vaccination to 84-85%. It is still about 10 percent less. than mRNA vaccines, but this is still very effective. On the other hand, the public opinion remembered the first information and refers to it all the time. The attitude towards AstraZeneka is still based on this first information, and yet the available clinical data has changed.
Teachers in Poland were concerned about the fact that they would be vaccinated with this preparation. The most common results were two days of fever.
It is true that as a result of vaccinations with AstraZeneca, feverish symptoms, or lasting a day or two flu-like symptoms are reported more often. This must be clearly emphasized. However, we do not know for sure whether these are symptoms caused by AstraZeneca as such or by other vector vaccines. In the United States, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which today has been approved in the European Union, has been authorized for two weeks, so we do not yet have complete information.
- What determines the effectiveness of vaccinations?
In the near term, we will be able to compare whether it is something that AstraZeneca did not see in its vaccine, or whether it is a trait attributed to vectored vaccines. However, I categorically emphasize that the balance of profits and risks should always be considered. The question I always ask is: would someone prefer to have flu-like symptoms with a fever for a day or two, or potentially rubbing against a respirator after being infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Finally, let’s emphasize again – correlation does not mean causation.
Exactly. All of this should be carefully studied. It could be that someone died as a result of the vaccination because a person with a genetic predisposition had a thrombosis after the vaccination. Such cases are theoretically possible, but each should be carefully checked to establish a link between vaccination and what happened next. If something happens after a certain situation, it does not necessarily mean that it happens as a result of it.
Also read:
- How to prepare for the COVID-19 vaccination? Family doctors’ advice for seniors
- What About Easter in a Pandemic? Experts are under no illusions
- Where can I get vaccinated against COVID-19? List of vaccination points
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