Several communities recall part of a batch of AstraZeneca investigated for adverse reactions in some countries

Several people receive the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against covid-19, in Santiago de Compostela this Thursday.César Arxina / Europa Press

The Minister Spokesperson, María Jesús Montero, assured this Friday at the press conference after the Council of Ministers that citizens can be calm with vaccines against covid-19 because they are safe and in Spain no adverse effects or no reaction after administration.

However, four regional governments, Andalusia, Catalonia, Castilla y León and the Canary Islands, have set aside doses of a batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine after Denmark, Norway and Iceland temporarily stopped vaccination with vials from the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company on Thursday. after several cases of thrombi in people in the European Union.

In parallel, seven other countries - Austria, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Italy and Romania - immobilized the lot.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), however, recommends continuing to inject the drug, as there is no indication that these adverse effects were caused by the drug.

Vaccination with the AstraZeneca drug continues in Spain, only a few thousand doses have been reserved pending the results of the EMA's investigations.

The Ministry of Health explains to EL PAÍS that these vials arrived in Spain in mid-February and that many of them have been administered.

Depending on the vaccination rate of each community, some may remain uninjected.

In Spain, no adverse effect has been recorded after its administration.

The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, insisted this morning in an interview in RNE that the AstraZeneca vaccine is "safe" and so says the EMA, which has shown that "there is no causal relationship between the thrombotic event and the vaccine itself ”.

Therefore, it has reiterated the message of "prudence and tranquility" and maximum vigilance.

According to this organism, until March 10, 30 events of this type had been registered among five million vaccinated, which is not a higher number than what can be expected in the general population.

That is why he insists that "the benefits" of administering the vaccine "outweigh the risks."

One of the communities that has stopped vaccination with a batch is Castilla y León and has done so "as a precaution."

In a statement, he insisted that "no serious adverse effect has been recorded from the inoculation of this type of vaccine or the other vaccines."

The Board's Health Department, which has not specified the number of vials, insists that this event should not lead to suspicions about vaccines and the scientific evidence that supports their use against the coronavirus.

As of yesterday, the region has received 85,800 vaccines from the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company.

Andalusia received 4,000 vials of batches of AstraZeneca AVB5300 on February 12, from which 40,000 doses could be taken, reports a spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Families.

“These vaccines began to be administered normally and we have not had any notification in the alert network that there have been negative reactions among the people who have received them.

There are only 1,200 doses left of that batch and now, due to a precautionary principle, it has been decided to immobilize those doses until the European Medicines Agency made a decision ”, the spokesperson clarified.

The community will continue to vaccinate with other AstraZeneca lots.

The Minister of Health, Jesús Aguirre, regretted in Córdoba that Andalusia has only received 40,000 doses of this pharmaceutical company this Friday, half of what he expected.

The Canary Islands, for their part, has temporarily and as a precaution set aside 110 doses associated with the batch about which doubts have been raised.

While Asturias came to withdraw vaccines yesterday, but finally continues with the vaccination.

Her spokesperson, Melania Álvarez, insisted this Friday that the immunization process continues "with all the security guarantees" and without changes.

Álvarez has specified the number of adverse reactions with all vaccines, all "mild and self-limited."

In the case of Catalonia, 35,000 of the 37,000 doses received from this batch have been administered.

The remaining 2,000 have been withdrawn pending the final report from the EMA.

Other communities are not considering stopping the campaign with AstraZeneca.

According to the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency and its Spanish counterpart, "there is no risk" and this drug can continue to be used, the Deputy Minister of Health of the Basque Country, José Luis Quintas, explained at a press conference.

The Cantabrian president, Miguel Ángel Revilla, would have no problems getting vaccinated with AstraZeneca either.

In Madrid there is no concern either.

His deputy counselor, Antonio Zapatero, has assured that the vaccine "is very good, it is a safe vaccine and it is an effective vaccine."

In video, statements by Carolina Darias this Thursday in the Health Commission of Congress.EFE / Fernando Villar

Regarding the fact that the EMA has given itself 14 days to establish a general recommendation on the vaccination of AstraZeneca and if Spain is finally going to apply it to people over 55 years of age, Darias has said that the Government will give itself "a waiting period" Depending on what the EMA says "and from there" action will be taken.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is being administered to essential workers under the age of 55 (firefighters, teachers, police and some non-frontline health workers, among others), to be followed by the general population between 45 and 55 years, as decided in mid-1990. February the Public Health Commission.

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