Tag: AstraZeneca vaccine

Belgium imposes ban on AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 56

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Belgium is disregarding Wednesdays advice from the European Unions drug regulator and imposing a four-week ban on administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged under 56.

The European Medicines Agency said that even though it found a possible link between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and a rare clotting disorder, it placed no new restrictions on using the vaccine in people 18 and over. The EMA insisted that the benefits of the shot still largely outweigh the risks.

Nevertheless, Belgium imposed a ban on administering it to younger people.

We will keep it this way for the next four weeks and reassess it then, said Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. He said the decision would have little impact on the vaccination campaign since few from that age group are in line to get jabs this month.

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WHO says AstraZeneca benefits outweigh risks; assessing latest data

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The World Health Organization expects there will be no reason to change its assessment that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 outweigh any risks, a regulatory official told a news conference on Tuesday.

The WHO is closely studying the latest data alongside European and other regulators, in light of reports of blood clots among people who have been vaccinated, said Rogerio Gaspar, WHO director of regulation and prequalification.

He said the WHO expects to reach a fresh assessment on Wednesday or Thursday but does not believe there will be a reason to change its advice that the benefits outweigh any risks.

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German experts recommend AstraZeneca vaccine shots only for over 60s

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Germany’s vaccine committee, known as STIKO, on Tuesday recommended using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine only for people aged 60 and over following further reports of a rare brain blood disorder.

“After several consultations, STIKO, with the help of external experts, decided by a majority to recommend the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine only for persons aged 60 years and older on the basis of available data on the occurrence of rare but very severe thromboembolic side effects,” it said in a statement.

German leaders were due to discuss the use of the Anglo-Swedish firm’s vaccine after several states said they would stop giving the shot to people under the age of 60 following the reports of the rare brain blood disorder.

Health Minister Jens Spahn was due to talk with his regional counterparts at 1800 CET (1600 GMT), a ministry spokesman said.

The meeting follows further reports by Germany’s vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), of cases of blood clots known as cerebral sinus vein thrombosis (CSVT).

PEI said it had registered 31 cases of CSVT, which resulted in nine deaths, out of some 2.7 million people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine. With the exception of two cases, all reports involved women aged between 20 and 63.

Before STIKO issued its statement, several German states, including Berlin and Brandenburg, as well as the city of Munich, said they would stop giving the shot to people under 60.

State hospital groups Charite and Vivantes suspended vaccinations in female staff aged under 55, citing further cases of CSVT.

Because use of the vaccine in Germany was initially limited to those under 65, the shot has been administered among younger women, particularly medical staff and teachers.

“Regarding the question of administering the second vaccine dose to younger persons who have already received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, STIKO will issue a supplementary recommendation by the end of April,” STIKO said.

Many European countries briefly stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine earlier this month while investigating rare cases of blood clots.

Both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization said this month the benefits of AstraZeneca’s vaccine outweighed the risks.

An EMA review covering 20 million people who took the AstraZeneca shot in Britain and the European Economic Area found seven cases of blood clots in multiple blood vessels and 18 cases of CVST.

MILLIONS ADMINISTERED

AstraZeneca says its vaccine is safe and effective, citing extensive trial data. Millions of doses have been safely administered around the world.

Nearly all countries have since resumed use of the vaccine. But France broke with guidance from the EMA and said on March 19 it should only be given to people aged 55 or older. France said the decision was based on evidence that the clotting affected younger people.

Canadian health officials said on Monday they would stop offering AstraZeneca’s shot to people under 55 and require a new analysis of the shot’s benefits and risks based on age and gender.

Some 19,000 people work at the Charite hospitals and 17,000 at Vivantes, which operates clinics as well as care homes.

Tagesspiegel, which first reported the decision, said that around two-thirds of staff at Charite have been vaccinated so far, and 70% of those workers have received one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder criticised the “back and forth” around the vaccine, saying all recommendations showed that the danger of severe illness from the coronavirus outweighed any side-effects linked to the shot.

“At some point we have to be able to administer it freely and say, ‘He who wants it and he who dares should be able to get it’,” he said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 76% effective in updated US trial results

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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AstraZeneca said on Thursday its COVID-19 vaccine was 76 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness and completely stopped severe or critical forms of the disease, citing a new analysis of up-to-date results for its major US trial.

US health officials earlier in the week publicly rebuked the drugmaker for using ”outdated information” when calculating that the vaccine was 79 percent effective. That marked a new setback for the vaccine that was once hailed as a milestone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but has been dogged by questions over its effectiveness and possible side-effects.

Confidence in the vaccine took a further hit this month when more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended the shot after reports linked it to a rare blood clotting disorder in a very small number of people.

AstraZeneca had also said on Monday an interim analysis of data showed that the shot, developed with Oxford University, was 100 percent effective against severe or critical forms of the disease.

Also Read: India likely to pause COVID-19 vaccine exports for at least 2 months

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Benefits outweigh the risks of AstraZeneca COVID shot as review continues: WHO

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine safety panel said on Wednesday that it considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue. The WHO listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s vaccine for emergency use last month, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world.

More than a dozen European countries have suspended the use of the vaccine this week amid concerns.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said it was investigating reports of 30 cases of unusual blood disorders out of 5 million recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In total, 45 million COVID shots have been delivered across the region.

The EU regulator will release its findings on Thursday but its head, Emer Cooke, said she saw no reason to change its recommendation of AstraZeneca – one of four vaccines that it has approved for use.

The WHO said it’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is carefully assessing the latest available safety data for the AstraZeneca vaccine. ”Once that review is completed, WHO will immediately communicate the findings to the public,” WHO said in its statement a day after its experts held a closed-door meeting.

”At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue,” it added.

Kate O’Brien, director of WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said that its vaccine safety panel was assessing whether adverse events such as blood clots were actually related to vaccination.

”We should not over-interpret these specific numbers that come out of trials. They are highly effective vaccines, they are life-saving vaccines, they are safe vaccines and we should get on with deploying them,” O’Brien told a news conference.

”So anybody who is offered vaccine should take whatever is being offered by the programme and ensure that the vaccines that are being produced, are used to their maximum benefit,” she said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

EU chief warns of action to protect pledged vaccine supplies

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The European Unions chief executive warned Wednesday that the EU would not hesitate to take action, including possible export restrictions, to ensure it receives the supplies of coronavirus vaccines the 27-nation bloc was promised.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU has approved the export of some 41 million vaccine doses to 33 countries in the last six weeks and believes that it stands at the forefront of international vaccine-sharing efforts.

We are exporting to countries that are themselves producing vaccines, and we think this is an invitation to be open, so that we also see exports from those countries coming back to the European Union, von der Leyen said.

Open roads run in both directions, she said. We want to see reciprocity and proportionality in exports, and we are ready to use whatever tool we need to deliver on that.

Von der Leyen did not name any countries, but her warning appeared to be a veiled threat to the United Kingdom. U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed surprise at the warning, saying that the world is watching.

Weve, all of us, including with our European friends, been saying throughout the pandemic that youd be wrong to curtail or interfere with lawfully contracted supply, Raab said.

He said senior EU officials recently told him that they werent aware of any plans to restrict lawfully contracted supply to the U.K.

We, like our European friends, are keeping supply chains open. Keeping trade and vital supplies of medical equipment and vaccines is critically important. We all (have) been arguing for this. And we expect those assurances and legally contracted supply to be respected, Raab added.

Von der Leyen praised vaccine-makers BioNTech and Moderna for living up to their delivery commitments, but she took a swipe at British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for delays.

AstraZeneca has unfortunately under-produced and under-delivered, and this painfully, of course, reduced the speed of the vaccination campaign, she said.

Von der Leyen did acknowledge that she trusts the companys vaccine. which some countries have suspended the use of while the EU regulators and the World Health Organization investigate whether AstraZeneca’s product has the potential to cause blood clots in recipients.

Von der Leyen said the company originally pledged to deliver 90 million doses in the first three months of 2021 but later said it could only provide 40 million doses and more recently, only 30 million.

For the second quarter of 2021, AstraZeneca will only deliver 70 million doses, less than half of the 180 million it was contractually obliged to deliver, she said.

Two production sites in the U.K. figure into the EUs advance purchasing agreement with AstraZeneca, von der Leyen said, adding: Were still waiting for doses to come from the U.K.

Von der Leyen said the EU still aims to vaccinate 70% of all adults by September.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID vaccine side-effects: What to do in case of adverse effects after vaccination

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Multiple European nations have temporarily halted the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine AZD1222 and are awaiting investigation results into incidents of bleeding, blood clots and low platelet counts in recipients.

Reports suggest that over 50 percent of vaccine recipients have reported injection site pain, headache and fatigue, while 40 percent complained of myalgia and malaise, 30 percent of pyrexia and chills.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is being manufactured and sold by Serum Institute of India (SII) under the brand name Covishield in the country. It is also being exported globally after India approved it for emergency use against the deadly virus.

So far, over 3 crore people have been administered at least one dose of either Covishield or Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. On March 16, the Indian government placed a new purchase order with SII for the supply of 10 crore more doses.

Following the global halt on AstraZeneca’s vaccine, medical agencies in India have also ordered a review of the vaccine and side-effects.

Read on to find out what one should do if they face side-effects of any vaccine.

Handling reactions

Mild and moderate reactions are normal and recipients could end up complaining about pain at the spot of the injection, headache, fever, malaise, fatigue and myalgia — which are expected symptoms. Dr Amit Patel told India Today that in rare cases, major reactions, such as lymphadenopathy (swollen or enlarged lymph nodes) may occur.

Allergic reactions

Recipients should inform doctors if they suffer from allergic reactions or are prescribed blood thinners before being administered the vaccine. In case of any adverse effect on the body post vaccination, a recipient should contact a doctor immediately.

Dr Aruna Kalra, senior gynaecologist and obstetrician at CK Birla Hospital in Gurugram said that minor symptoms may be good signs that the body is developing immunological response for the virus.

Doctors also recommend that the body should be properly hydrated to handle the potential side-effects of the vaccine.

Authorities in India have not ordered the suspension of any vaccine so far as adverse reactions have been extremely rare.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purpose and should not be considered as medical advice by CNBCTV18.com. Please consult your physician for more details.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Germany, France, Italy suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Italy’s medicines regulator on Monday announced the precautionary, temporary ban on using AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine amid new reports of people developing dangerous blood clots after taking the shot.

Italy’s Aifa said the decision was taken in line with similar measures adopted by other European countries.

It added that further looking into the matter is currently underway.

A 57-year-old clarinet teacher, who received the vaccine in the northern Piedmont region on Saturday evening, as part of a national rollout for teachers, died at home early Sunday morning.

Autopsies have been ordered for that death, as well as to a handful of other deaths last week of others in Italy who had received the vaccine.
France and Germany also suspended the vaccine’s use on Monday. AstraZeneca and global health authorities insist the shot is safe.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said on Monday that France is suspending the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine use out of precaution.

Macron told a news conference that French authorities have decided to suspend shots at least until Tuesday afternoon when the European Medicines Agency will issue its recommendation over the vaccine. He didn’t elaborate on the reasons for the decision.

He said France hopes to be able to vaccine again with AstraZeneca shots soon.

Meanwhile, Germany became the biggest country in Europe to suspend the use of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine.

The country’s health minister said the decision was taken on the advice of Germany’s national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation into seven reported cases of clots in the brains of people who had been vaccinated.

“Today’s decision is a purely precautionary measure,” Jens Spahn said.

Several countries, starting with Denmark last week, have temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days to investigate cases of blood clots that occurred after vaccination. They include Ireland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Congo and Bulgaria.

Blood clots can travel through the body and cause heart attacks, strokes and deadly blockages in the lungs.

AstraZeneca has said that there is no cause for concern with its vaccine and that there were fewer reported thrombosis cases in those who received the shot than in the general population.

The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation have also said that the data does not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunized.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Canada says AstraZeneca vaccine is safe after Norway and Denmark suspend use

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Canada on Thursday said the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe after Denmark and Norway temporarily suspended its use amid reports that blood clots had formed in some who had received the shot. ”Health Canada is aware of reports of adverse events in Europe following immunization with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and would like to reassure Canadians that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh its risks,” the health department said in a statement.

”At this time, there is no indication that the vaccine caused these events,” it said.

Canada received 500,000 AstraZeneca doses made at the Serum Institute of India last week and expects to get 1.5 million more in by May.

”To date, no adverse events related to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine… have been reported to Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada,” the statement said.

The federal government has ordered a total of 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and is due to receive 1.9 million through COVAX – the international initiative set up to provide equitable access to vaccines.

Also Read: Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspend AstraZeneca COVID shots after blood clot reports

Although Canada has ordered more COVID-19 vaccine doses per capita any other country, its initial roll-out has been slow in part because of temporary disruptions of deliveries from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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US loads up on extra COVID-19 shots, fuels vaccine gap worldwide

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Facing both uncertainties about the domestic needs for COVID-19 vaccines and calls from shot-starved allies to share its supply, US President Joe Biden has ordered almost enough jabs to inoculate every American adult twice, expanding production.

He said on Wednesday that he will also double the US order of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) single-dose vaccine to 200 million, after the company struck a deal with Merck & Co. last week to bolster production.

“A lot can happen, a lot can change, and we need to be prepared,” Biden said at White House.

The Biden administration has said its priority is vaccinating the willing Americans first, before sending any shots abroad.

Administration officials have defended the approach, saying that a vaccine hasn’t yet been approved for children. Also, booster shots may be necessary if the immunity isn’t long-lasting or against the new variants, they say.

A White House official, while talking to Bloomberg, invoked the death toll in the US, which stood at 5.29 lakh on Wednesday (March 10), according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US has had the most COVID-19 deaths globally and needs its vaccines to protect against further fatalities, the official said.

Nonetheless, Biden’s new order of the J&J vaccine risks further exacerbating the gap between having and have-not nations. Like Mexico last week was rebuffed.

Countries that are focussing on immunising their own populations, however, face a bitter reality that the pandemic will end only when it ends everywhere.

Another administration official said there was no outright ban on the export of vaccines. “The companies are free to ship their vaccines abroad, but they will have to complete the requirements spelt out in their contracts with the US,” the official added.

AstraZeneca Plc, whose vaccine is used widely in Europe but isn’t yet authorised in the US, is already producing doses within the country.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow