France, Italy, Spain, Germany: European countries resume vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccine

Italy will resume its vaccination program against the Covid-19 epidemic on Friday with AstraZeneca serums, Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced Thursday after the conclusions of the European regulator deeming this vaccine “safe and effective”.

“Italian government welcomes EMA statements [Agence européenne des médicaments]. Administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine will resume tomorrow, “Draghi said in a statement.

“The government’s priority remains to achieve the greatest number of vaccinations as quickly as possible,” he added.

With in particular Germany, France and Spain, Italy had suspended Monday as a precaution the administration of the vaccine AstraZeneca after the report of potentially serious side effects.

And the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) had banned the use of a batch of vaccines representing more than 200,000 doses while the country suffers greatly from delays in deliveries of the various serums available.

According to the AIFA, the opinion of the EMA makes that “the reasons for this ban no longer exist” and the vaccination campaign should start again on Friday at 3:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT).

More than 7.2 million doses of the vaccine have been injected since the end of December in Italy, but only 2.2 million people have received two doses, according to figures released in real time by the Ministry of Health.

In Spain and Germany too

Germany will also resume the use of AstraZeneca vaccines this Friday. “Our goal, and this is the common goal of the government and the 16 Länder, is to resume vaccinations with AstraZeneca during the course of Friday,” Jens Spahn told reporters, eager to restore “confidence “in this vaccine, the use of which was suspended on Monday.

Spain will wait until Wednesday to do the same. “We are resuming vaccination with AstraZeneca next week, namely Wednesday,” Carolina Darias told a press conference four days after her preventive suspension, explaining that authorities should now decide which “groups will receive this vaccine. “

France is following suit

France will resume its vaccination program against the Covid-19 epidemic on Friday afternoon with the AstraZeneca serum, Jean Castex announced Thursday. Friday morning, the High Authority for Health “will update its recommendation regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, so that we can immediately resume the vaccination campaign from tomorrow afternoon,” said the Prime Minister during a press conference, specifying that he would be vaccinated himself on Friday.