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By Caroline Pailliez and Johan Ahlander
PARIS (Reuters) – Health authorities in some European countries face resistance to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after side effects led hospital staff and other frontline workers to call patients, which puts additional pressure on services already in demand.
These symptoms, as reported in clinical trials with the AstraZeneca vaccine, can include a high temperature or a headache and are a normal sign that the body is generating an immune response. They usually wear off in a day or two.
The other injections approved in Europe, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, have been associated with similar temporary side effects, including fever and fatigue.
But with the AstraZeneca gunshot the latest to be deployed, French health authorities have issued guidelines to stagger the fire, two regions in Sweden have suspended vaccinations and in Germany some essential workers are refusing it.
A spokesperson for AstraZeneca said: “Currently, the reactions reported are as we would expect based on the evidence gathered from our clinical trials program.”
People receiving the vaccine are being closely monitored through routine pharmacovigilance activities, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker said, adding that it was continuing to monitor the situation closely.
“There have been no confirmed serious adverse events,” the spokesperson said.
‘MORE SIDE EFFECTS’
In France, which began administering the AstraZeneca vaccine on February 6, staff at a hospital in Normandy suffered more severe side effects than those seen with the alternative vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
“AstraZeneca caused more side effects than the Pfizer vaccine,” said Mélanie Cotigny, communications manager at Saint-Lo hospital in Normandy.
“Between 10% and 15% of people vaccinated can have side effects from this vaccination, but it is only a feverish state, fever, nausea and within 12 hours it goes away.”
Following similar reports from other hospitals, the French drug safety agency said on February 11 that such side effects were “known and described” but should be monitored for their intensity.
It also issued guidelines for staggering immunizations for frontline staff working together in shifts to minimize the risk of disruption to operations.
The agency issued the advice after receiving 149 alerts of often serious flu-like side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine. During this period, a total of 10,000 people received the vaccine across the country.
Some US hospitals and other organizations with frontline staff adopted a similar strategy when the country’s immunization program began in December. The United States administers Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna injections.
In Great Britain, home to the AstraZeneca vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, the policy has been to make the vaccines easily accessible to hospital staff. Like many shifts, this naturally spaces the process.
The problems in France show some doctors and hospitals are still learning how to best administer vaccines as governments rush to tame the pandemic and get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
It is also the latest setback of the French vaccination campaign which has been criticized for a slow start. Last week, the government said just over 3% of the population received their first dose.
In Sweden, two of 21 healthcare regions halted workers’ vaccinations last week after a quarter of them were called sick after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The regions of Sormland and Gavleborg said about 100 out of 400 people vaccinated had reported fever or fever-like symptoms. Most of the cases were mild and in line with the previously reported side effects.
Both regions said they would resume vaccinations and the Swedish Medicines Agency saw no reason to change its vaccination guidelines.
NO SHOWS
AstraZeneca’s vector-based vaccine is the third to gain regulatory approval in the European Union.
As part of the European Medicines Agency’s positive recommendation of January 29, the watchdog concluded that it was around 60% effective, compared to over 90% for the vaccines from Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna.
He has also found the product safe to use and will monitor reports of side effects on a routine basis.
In Germany, Health Minister Jens Spahn responded to reports on Wednesday that essential workers were reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine after suffering strong side effects, saying it was both safe and effective.
“I would be immediately vaccinated with it,” Spahn told reporters.
Like most European countries, German states generally do not offer people a choice of which vaccine they will receive, leading in some cases to not showing up for appointments to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Germany has received 737,000 doses of AstraZeneca but administered only 107,000, according to figures from the Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute which is leading its response to the pandemic.
“This vaccine is a great way to prevent serious COVID illnesses,” the state health ministry of Saxony in the east said. “Yet we note that there are still vacant vaccination dates for AstraZeneca.
“From our point of view, it is wrong that this vaccine is available but not used,” he said, adding that he was redistributing spare injections to teachers and public health workers.
(Caroline Pailliez reported from Paris, Johan Ahlander from Stockholm; Additional reporting by Caroline Copley in Berlin, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, Richard Lough in Paris and Paul Sandle in London; Written by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Josephine Mason and Nick Macfie)
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