Professor Daniel Camus, infectious disease specialist at the Institut Pasteur de Lille and member of the High Council for Public Health, wants things to be very clear: "the AstraZeneca vaccine is not a second-class vaccine, it is submitted, as the others, to the same rules to be placed on the European and French market ”.
By suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, France is following in the footsteps of a dozen European countries which have taken precautionary measures for a week.
Emmanuel Macron also decided to apply the precautionary principle after suspected cases of thrombosis and coagulation in several people vaccinated with the product developed by the Anglo-Swedish laboratory.
In recent days, mistrust has been growing.
Two people died of cerebral hemorrhage in Norway after receiving the vaccine.
In Italy, a teacher also died.
He had been vaccinated the day before.
A 60-year-old Danish patient died of a blood clot after being injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
"Pulmonary embolism is extremely common," recalls Professor Daniel Camus.
The cause and effect relationship is “not yet demonstrated, not at all”.
“There can be a defect on a lot,” he admits nonetheless.
The Head of State said "hope to resume soon" vaccination with this serum "if the opinion of the European authority allows", while several European countries have also suspended this vaccine, including Germany and the 'Italy Monday.
“The European Authority, the EMA, will issue an opinion tomorrow afternoon on the use of this vaccine (...) the decision which was taken in accordance also with our European policy is to suspend vaccination with AstraZeneca as a precaution. hoping to resume it quickly if the opinion of the EMA allows it ”, declared the Head of State during a press conference with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, at the end of a French-speaking summit. Spanish.
A dozen countries have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution, despite sluggish vaccination campaigns, after the reporting of "possible" side effects but without a proven link at this stage.
The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group says there is "no evidence of an increased risk" of a blood clot caused by its vaccine, while the World Health Organization (WHO) believes there is " no reason not to use this vaccine.
Pulmonary embolism is extremely common.
“If we stop the vaccination with AstraZeneca, we will deprive thousands, even millions of people of this vaccine while the benefits are known.
It protects and they protect effectively, ”insists Daniel Camus.
“Let’s not let the disease evolve,” he adds.
The doctor calls for calm and reason, "let's wait for the results of the investigations which are currently being carried out to decide definitively", he concludes.
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