Maria Laura Avignolo
04/07/2021 12:52
Clarín.com
World
Updated 04/07/2021 2:09 PM
The
Astrazeneca vaccine
should not be offered to
young people between 18 and 30 years old
because it can have sequelae with their clots and must be replaced by other vaccines, such as Moderna or Pfizer,
including their second dose
if they have already received the first.
There is an immune problem that elevates platelets but
the reasons for this process, which are unknown
, should be
investigated further
.
It is not known whether it affects men or women more.
But this "course correction"
does not mean stopping
vaccination in Britain or Europe because the benefits of the vaccine "are more important" than "the very rare side effects", which produces a virus that can lead to death.
One of the sequelae of Covid is that it can cause a
stroke
in certain cases.
This was the conclusion reached at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdam and shortly afterwards, scientists from the MHRA, the British health and medical products regulatory agency in a special briefing in London, on the Oxford vaccine- AstraZeneca.
This vaccine is being boycotted by patients in Europe due to fears of its side effects.
The alternative: Pfizer or Moderna
British 18-29 year olds will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, after 79 people developed blood clots after inoculation, British government scientists have decided.
They will suggest a
Pfizer or Moderna placement
, depending on availability, and the vaccination site may be further from your home.
A nurse prepares a dose of Moderna's vaccine.
Photo: Reuters
The British Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) concluded that
there is "a possible link"
between the Oxford vaccine and blood clots, "extremely rare and unlikely", with low platelets.
Its origin is unknown.
Younger people are much less likely to die from COVID-1.
So the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) has decided that it is safer to recommend that you consider receiving another vaccine.
They don't think they have
supply problems
in the kingdom because they already have Pfizer and Moderna has arrived.
England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said the new advice on AstraZeneca is a "course correction" for the UK's "very successful" vaccine launch.
According to Van Tan, for most age groups, the "benefits outweigh the risks" of getting the vaccine.
He said the new advice on the Astrazeneca vaccine will have
negligible impact
on the launch of the vaccine in the UK.
Symptoms to watch for
"The recommendation is coming after a total of 79 people in the UK have had blood clots after their first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca through March 31," said Dr June Raine, Executive Director of the MHRA. , which
licensed the
AstraZeneca
vaccine
.
A total of 51 women and 28 men,
ages 18 to 79,
were affected
with these clots.
The UK vaccination committee continues to recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Photo: AP
"The risk is
four people
in a million," added Dr. Raine.
He said that anyone experiencing the following side effects four days after receiving a dose should seek medical attention.
They are: Headaches.
Blurry vision
Difficulty breathing
Chest pain
Leg swelling
Abdominal pain
Punctual bruises or spots beyond the vaccination site.
More than 5.6 million people in the UK are now fully vaccinated against COVID.
The JCVI has said that "people of any age who have received the first dose of the Oxford vaccine
should continue to be offered
the second dose," according to the schedule.
JCVI President Professor Wei Shen Lim stated that "we recommend the preference of one vaccine over another
for a
particular age
group out
of caution and not out of serious safety concerns."
He added that people in their early 29s must make a choice.
But getting the vaccine
is much safer
than not getting it.
"Change of British course"
British professor Van Tam said that it is "quite common for doctors to change their preferences about drugs and vaccines."
He said the NHS will provide "the right vaccine at the right time. But that some people" may have to travel further to get their shots.
He insisted that it remains "vitally important" that people get vaccinated when they are invited to do so.
The UK is currently injecting the Pfizer vaccine as well, with the first doses of the Moderna vaccine delivered this Wednesday in Wales.
The decision of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization follows a review of the Oxford jab by the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency.
v 1.5
Coronavirus in the world
Source:
OWID
Infographic:
Clarín
Over the weekend, it was revealed that 30 people who have received the vaccine in the UK have developed a blood clot, out of a total of 18.1 million people who have received it.
The MHRA confirmed that
seven of those people had died
as of March 24.
On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government believes the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is "safe."
On a visit to Cornwall he insisted that "the crucial thing for everyone is to hear what scientists, medical experts have to say later today."
What Europeans Say
From Amsterdam, the European Medicines Agency launched its analysis on the Astrazeneca vaccine and its effects.
The British vaccine suffers
a crisis of confidence
in the EU, especially from the campaign by France and Germany suggesting that it was not safe.
The European drug regulator said "unusual blood clots" should be listed as a
"very rare"
side effect
of the COVID Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency said it had reached its conclusion after taking into account all the available evidence.
European Union health ministers have been told the announcement would have an "immediate impact on vaccination plans" and "vaccine confidence."
The announcement came at the same time that UK government advisers indicated that British 18-29 year olds will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine when it becomes available.
Less risks, more benefits
The EMA has reminded healthcare professionals and people receiving the vaccine to be aware of the possibility of "very rare cases of blood clots" combined "with low levels of platelets in the blood",
within two weeks
post-vaccination.
He said that so far, most of the reported cases have occurred in
women under the age of 60
.
The EMA finding followed an in-depth review of 86 blood clot cases, 18 of which were fatal, as of March 22 from around 25 million people who had received the vaccine.
However, despite the possible link, the regulator said the reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets "is very rare."
The overall benefits of the vaccine to prevent COVID-19 "outweigh the risks of side effects."
The Oxford vaccine is one of four vaccines licensed in the EU to protect against COVID-19.
The EMA says studies show it is effective in preventing coronavirus and also reduces the risk of
hospitalization and deaths
from COVID-19.
Restrictions on AstraZeneca
There have been concerns about whether the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is suitable for younger age groups, following reports of rare blood clots on the continent.
This led several European countries to go back and forth in their own vaccination strategies in recent weeks.
But before the latest EMA briefing, France, Germany and the Netherlands
had
since
restricted
the use of the vaccine to older people for fear that younger recipients are potentially at higher risk for clots.
Earlier this week, the EMA's chief of vaccine strategy said it was "increasingly difficult" to say that "there is no cause-and-effect relationship" between the injection and "rare cases of unusual blood clots."
Dosage uncertainty Oxford-AstraZeneca has been presented as one of the main reasons
for Europe's
slow vaccination schedule
, compared to the UK, where the injection has been widely used alongside Pfizer's.
In the vaccinations in France there are hematologists, who check the platelet level of the future vaccinated in their analyzes, to authorize the vaccine.
Paris, correspondent
ap
Look also
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