Canada and three German cities stop AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Canada and three German cities are no longer recommending the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to young people as the inoculation causes severe blood clots in some recipients, reports and officials said on Tuesday.

Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization on Monday recommended that the British-made vaccine not be given to people under 55, while Berlin, Munich and Bradenburg suspended the vaccine for people under 60 .

“NACI recommends that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine not be used in adults under the age of 55 at this time, while the vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) safety signal after vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is being studied in more detail, ”Canadian officials wrote in a statement.

Eight of Canada’s ten provinces, including large towns like Ontario and Quebec, have confirmed they are no longer kicking AstraZeneca for people under 55 following NACI’s recommendation, Insider reported. .

While the three German cities have already stopped the jab for people under the age of 60, the whole country is considering withdrawing the plug, according to a draft resolution of the German Standing Committee on Vaccination, obtained by the local outlet Der Tagesspiegel.

The project recommends that no one under the age of 60, male or female, receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, but use below this limit “remains possible at the discretion of the physician and after further clarification, if the individual risk is accepted. », Reported the point of sale.

“Although many more women have been affected, the Stiko limits its recommendation to both sexes as a precaution.”

The committee hopes to reach a national agreement for the future by Tuesday evening.

While vaccine-induced blood clots appear to be rare, health officials have found that they tend to have more of an impact on young people, CTV reported.

The AstraZeneca vaccine – which has become a key weapon in Europe’s battle to immunize its residents against the coronavirus – has yet to be approved for use in the United States and is around 76% effective, the society.

They previously claimed the shot was 79% effective, but recovered that data after being accused of selecting information to make it appear more effective than it was.

The company maintains the vaccine is safe and issued a statement in mid-March that a review of the safety data of more than 17 million people who received the vaccine in the UK and the European Union did found no evidence of a higher risk of pulmonary or deep embolism. venous thrombosis, conditions associated with blood clots.

AstaZeneca said it plans to seek emergency use clearance from the FDA for the vaccine in the United States within a few weeks.