France has joined the countries which have suspended the va …

From Paris

One of the hopes circulating in the market to fight the pandemic has lost some of its legitimacy. Monday March 15, France joined the countries which had decided to stop the vaccination campaign with the Anglo-Swedish vaccine AstraZeneca-Oxford. Paris “preventively” suspended the distribution and administration of the said vaccine after the detection of cases where the formation of blood clots had been observed. Already before, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Austria (some lots on March 8 as well as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Luxembourg), the Netherlands, Italy , Germany and, finally, Spain, had taken a similar decision. These countries will have to wait for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to clarify whether or not the AstraZeneca vaccine has a direct relationship with a series of blood clots found in countries which have stopped using the vaccine.

Confusion and contradictions envelop vaccines again. The AEM will release its analysis this Thursday afternoon, but, at the same time, ensure that there is no strong “evidence” that the vaccine has side effects and that its use has more benefits. than the risks it entails. The WHO (World Health Organization) has assured for its part that “there is no reason” not to use the vaccine. As for the pharmaceutical group which manufactures it, AstraZeneca maintains that “there is no evidence of an aggravated risk”.

A total of 12 countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thailand and Indonesia, have so far suspended administration of the Anglo-Swedish vaccine. French President Emmanuel Macron explained that France was paralyzing the administration of this formula “as a precaution”. Authorities recognize that beyond the chronological sequence, there is no proven link between health problems and the vaccine. Preventive suspension then tends to ensure that this relationship does not exist.

During a joint press conference with the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez (bilateral summit in the French city of Montauban), Emmanuel Macron specified that vaccination with AstraZeneca will be quickly relaunched if “the opinion of the European Agency medication allows it ”. . Until Thursday afternoon (it was scheduled for Tuesday), the formula supported by Oxford will be suspended. Cases of blood clots are rare. Among the five million doses supplied in the European Union, 30 thromboembolic cases have been detected. Through a press release, the AEM explained that “the number of thromboembolic episodes found in vaccinated persons is not greater than that observed in the general population”. The intersection of opinions is confusing, as is the fact that the vaccine is only suspended for 72 hours (at least in France). Serious problems with the AstraZeneca vaccine began on March 8 when Austria suspended a vaccine batch after a nurse discovered “serious blood clotting problems” in a patient. On March 11, Norway and Denmark completely stopped treatment. From there, more countries started to join at the same time as in France, the executive defended the Anglo-Swedish formula.

On Sunday March 14, the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, declared through Twitch that “we had to trust this vaccine and get vaccinated, otherwise, and I say this solemnly, there will be delays in the vaccination and the The French and the French will be less protected and the health crisis will last longer ”. The next day, Monday, the state opted for caution, followed the recommendation of the National Medicines Agency (ANSM) which recommended the suspension of treatment and therefore chose to wait for the possible support of the European Medicines Agency, which, in fact, will not be delivered on Tuesday but Thursday, March 18. Macron’s decision is an unexpected boost, especially since before its issuance, the AstraZeneca vaccine was accompanied by a halo of mistrust. This led to the fact that, on February 8, the French Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, injected himself in front of the cameras a dose of this vaccine and invited the population to do the same.

The controversy sparked between London and the European Union due to the gigantic delay in the supply of the vaccine (80 million doses less than promised) has further tarnished the prestige of this formula, which was the second to obtain approval of the WEA. On the other hand, eThe French head of state made this measure public at the same time when the possibility of a new confinement of Paris and its region is often mentioned. Many infected with the virus have been transferred these days from Paris and its region to other departments less affected by the increase in contamination. Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Monday that “the master of time is the virus” and began to prepare public opinion for further restrictions. The president declared that “in the next few new decisions will be taken”. This March 16, it is exactly one year that the first confinement was decreed and life continues to be determined by this big boss that the virus has become.