received doses of AstraZeneca and Moderna

“Yes, we confirm” that Merkel, 66, “recently” received a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine from the American laboratory Moderna, the spokeswoman said, the AFP news agency reported.

Merkel received a first dose of the vaccine from the Anglo-Swedish laboratory on April 16 AstraZeneca, but since then its use has been suspended for some time in Germany after being linked to several cases of thrombosis in Europe.

Use of the vaccine AstraZeneca, that several German leaders have already received, including the President of the Republic, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is now reserved in the country for people over 60 years old.

Several countries, including Germany, have decided to apply a messenger RNA vaccine, such as Moderna’s, as a second dose, in what is called a “mixed vaccination schedule”, after an injection of AstraZeneca, which uses the adenovirus technique.

More than half (51.2%) of the German population, or 42.5 million people, have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 26.3 million (31.6%) are fully vaccinated, according to figures put updated today by the government.

In Argentina, the Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, noticed that day that “the vaccine combination” is being analyzed to supplement the immunization schedules of people who have received a single dose.

The head of the health portfolio asserted that “The National Vaccination Commission has always studied the possibility of exchanging platforms” combine coronavirus vaccines from different laboratories.

He added that this The intention is that “there is more evidence on the combination of different vaccine platforms” and clarified that “Canada is doing it and several countries in Europe”.

He clarified that this does not mean that the government plans to do so today, because “You first need to gather more evidence and have scientific consensus and speak with all the jurisdictions.”

The combination of vaccines began to be mentioned in the epidemiological sphere after the delay in the arrival in the country of the second component of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

About, Vizzotti He warned that the vaccine combination “does not necessarily” have to be due to the “difficulty of accessing” a second component, but can also be an alternative “to expand and clarify the vaccination campaign.”

“The exchange of platforms can simplify this”, added the Minister of Health that this possibility is used to extend the vaccination campaign.

He also announced that next Wednesday the Vaccination Commission will meet with an agenda that has as a priority to analyze the different possibilities of exchanging vaccines, although he clarified that “there is no estimated time to define it “but that” before there must be a technical consensus “.