On Tuesday, Emer Crooke had already blocked it. Now the EMA’s PRAC committee confirmed: the benefits of AZ1222 far outweigh the risks of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Following the cessation of the COVID-19 vaccine at AstraZeneca or specific seizures in 13 EU member states, the EU EMA regulatory authority has investigated the frequency of rare thrombolytic events and possible causal links to it. the AZD-1222 adenoviral vaccine in the EU. The Amsterdam authority today confirmed what leader Emer Crooke had already revealed two days earlier: the EMA reaffirms its recommendation that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the disadvantages. benefits. The World Health Organization has previously asked countries to continue vaccinations with AZD1222.
In particular, the PRAC Committee of the EMA concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots (thromboembolic events) in those who receive it; and that there is no evidence of a problem with specific vaccinations of the vaccine or specific manufacturing sites.
However, vaccination may be associated with very rare cases of blood clots associated with thrombocytopenia, ie low levels of blood clots with or without inflammation, including rare cases of clots in the blood. the vessels drain blood from the brain (CVST). According to the PRAC committee, approximately 20 million people in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA) had been vaccinated on 16 March and EMA had reviewed 7 cases of blood clots in multiple blood vessels (circulating intravascular coagulation, DIC) and 18 cases of CVST usually occur within 14 days after vaccination. The authority confirmed reports about AstraZeneca that the total number of thromboembolic events was lower than expected in the vaccinated population.
Most CVST reports are the reason why several countries have stopped vaccination, including women under 55, although some of this may reflect greater transparency of these individuals. as a result of targeting specific numbers for vaccine campaigns in different Member States. In addition, the number of reported incidents is higher than expected, so a cause cannot be ruled out although it has not been confirmed. However, given the rarity of events, and the difficulty of establishing baseline frequency since COVID-19 itself leads to hospitals with thromboembolic complications, the strength of any association is uncertain.
The review shows that the side-effect screening equipment is working well. In total, 13 EU states including France, Italy and Germany banned the use of the vaccine for fear of being linked to CVST. The EMA made it clear that it is up to individual countries to decide whether to follow EMA advice. Italy was the first country to introduce the AZD1222 vaccine. Germany and France are expected to follow suit as the incidence of COVID-19 rises sharply at the onset of the third wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
It remains to be seen, however, how effectively vaccines prevent disease courses and deaths following the viral variants that are both, more contagious and for the B.1.1.7 version 60% more lethal as just JNJ’s COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 mutant sequences under real-life conditions.
Fears now of a lack of uptake of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe could be allayed by politicians with a simple recommendation that is more important to third world countries: AZD-1222 is the only COVID-19 vaccine agreed which is provided at cost price – all others cost at least three times more.