Ireland decided on Monday to reserve the AstraZeneca vaccine for the over 60s, in turn adapting its use of serum from the Anglo-Swedish laboratory because of fears around cases of rare blood clots forming.
The decision, taken in the wake of the recommendation of the committee responsible for the vaccination program, is due to enter into force on Tuesday.
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The Department of Health and health authorities
"will now work together to ensure that these updated recommendations are incorporated into the ongoing implementation of the vaccination program
,
"
Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said in a statement.
The health service will now see how to
“effectively”
redirect
the doses and
“redefine and clarify exactly who will have which vaccine and when in the coming weeks,”
he said at a press conference.
According to the latest figures, nearly 750,000 people in Ireland have already received a first dose for a population of five million.
The pandemic has killed 4,785 people there.
Distrust of the AstraZeneca vaccine has already led many countries to set age limits for its use, or even to suspend its use.
For example, it is reserved for over 30s in the United Kingdom, where it has already been widely used, over 65s in Sweden, and over 60s in the Philippines, Portugal, the Netherlands or Germany. .
Last Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had recognized that blood clots should be listed as a side effect,
"very rare"
but serious, of the AstraZeneca vaccine, especially in young subjects.
The European regulator also announced Friday that it was investigating links between this vaccine and vascular problems.
The EMA is examining five cases of capillary leak syndrome,
"characterized by the leakage of fluid from the blood vessels, causing tissue swelling and a drop in blood pressure
.
"