After European and British regulatory agencies discovered a potential link between the shooting and rare cerebral thrombosis, Spain will only provide AstraZeneca‘s coronavirus vaccine to people over 60.
Health Secretary Carolina Darias said at a press conference later on Wednesday: ”The vaccination strategy is changing. Starting tomorrow, only people over 60 years old will receive AstraZeneca’s Vaccination.” Darias pointed out that a decision will be made on Thursday whether to give a second round of vaccination to people who have already received the first dose of the vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency (European Medicines Agency) earlier announced that in Europe, out of 34 million doses of vaccine, 169 cases of rare blood clotting disorders have been reported, and approximately 100,000 out of 600,000 people will be vaccinated. Most occur in women under 60 and within two weeks of injection.
Maria Jesus Lamas, director of the Spanish Drug Control Agency, said that although this number is small, it is still higher than expected: “Although these side effects are few, it is important to revise the technical guidelines,” Lamas said.
The EU Health Ministers’ Summit failed to reach agreement on general guidelines for vaccines, and EMA stated that countries should formulate their own regulations.
Before Spain’s decision, Italy only recommended rolling out for people over 60, while the United Kingdom said people under 30 should choose other methods. People lined up in Madrid for the vaccine earlier Wednesday and were frustrated with the ever-changing guidelines for the use of vaccines, which are subject to different rules.
The Ministry of Health registered 8,788 new cases, bringing the total to 3.33 million. The death toll rose by 126 to 76,037. The authorities of Catalonia, Basque Country, and Aragon are vigilant about the fourth wave of increased social contact during Easter that may trigger a full-blown outbreak. The authorities of Catalonia, Basque Country and Aragon are acting against actions. New restrictions were proposed.
