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Covid-19: Europe recognizes "rare risks" of complications for AstraZeneca

2021-04-08T05:37:36.789Z


New measures, new reports and highlights: Le Figaro takes stock of the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.


While the pandemic has killed more than 2.87 million people worldwide, including 97,000 in France, the race against the virus using vaccines is intensifying.

While some countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States or Israel, are approaching collective immunity, others are struggling to have access to the precious bottles, like Venezuela or India.

Half of the approximately 680 million doses administered worldwide have been administered in "

high income

" countries as defined by the World Bank (16% of the planet's population), according to an AFP count. from official data.

Read also: Covid-19: poor and emerging countries, the forgotten in the vaccine race

  • AstraZeneca: a link with rare blood clots

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) first acknowledged on Wednesday April 7 that the AstraZeneca vaccine could cause very rare blood problems in some people.

According to her,

this "

possible link

" justifies the risk being mentioned in the vaccine leaflet.

No specific risk factors such as age, gender and medical history have been identified, noted EMA executive director Emer Cooke.

"

A plausible explanation for these rare side effects is an immune response to the vaccine,

" she added, recalling that it is "

very effective

" and "

saves lives

".

The benefits therefore remain greater than the risks for the general population, insisted the health authority.

The scientific committee overseeing the vaccination campaign in the United Kingdom recommended limiting the use of AstraZeneca to over 30s, after the country reported 79 rare cases of blood clots, including 19 deaths.

Belgium has decided to reserve the use of AstraZeneca for those over 55, while Italy and Spain for those over 60.

To read also: AstraZeneca vaccine: doubt settles in the places of injections

  • Chile urgently expects Chinese vaccine CanSino

While Amnesty International denounced the "

virtual monopoly

" of rich countries in access to immunization, Chile on Wednesday April 7 approved the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine CanSino Biologics against the coronavirus, the fourth vaccine approved. by the government of the country hit by a violent second wave of the pandemic, the Institute of Public Health (ISP) reported.

Bavaria has taken the step towards the Russian vaccine Sputnik-V with which it has negotiated a "

preliminary contract

" with a view to receiving 2.5 million doses soon, subject to its approval by the European regulator.

To read also: "Seen from elsewhere" N ° 38 - Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine in orbit

  • South America still under high tension

The day after a new record of 4,195 deaths recorded in 24 hours, President Jair Bolsonaro ruled out any “

national confinement

”, despite the recommendations of many specialists and a benchmark health institute.

Peru also broke a new death record with 314 deaths linked to Covid-19 in 24 hours, the highest figure since the start of the epidemic.

Faced with a third galloping wave punctuated by the Brazilian variant, some countries on the continent are struggling to access vaccines, like Venezuela.

Its Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza said that without the economic sanctions to which it is subject, the country would have already bought the anti-Covid vaccines it needs.

If Argentina is the country that has vaccinated the most on the continent, especially with the help of Russian Sputnik-V doses, President Alberto Fernandez has instituted a three-week curfew from next Friday.

An unprecedented decision to cope with the exponential increase in contamination.

  • The Roland-Garros tournament postponed for a week

As France begins producing vaccines on its soil with the bottling of Pfizer / BioNTech doses by the Delpharm group in Eure-et-Loir, the Roland-Garros tournament, which was to take place from May 23 to 6 June, has been postponed for a week in order to allow organizers to welcome a larger number of spectators if the health restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic are eased.

  • Ontario and Qatar reconfigure each other

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, is ordering its residents to stay at home from Thursday and is shutting down non-essential businesses for four weeks to counter the third wave of Covid-19.

Same termination for Qatar, which enters a new strict confinement from Friday, with the ban on outdoor activities except for essential races and going to work, in order to stem the increase in contamination and deaths from the coronavirus .

Source: lefigaro

All tech articles on 2021-04-08

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