The German government will again evaluate the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the cities of Berlin, Munich and Brandenburg taking the lead today in announcing the suspension of the Wuhan pneumonia (novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19) vaccine for people under the age of 60.
Dilek Kalayci, Berlin’s top health official, said the city is suspending the AZ vaccine for men and women under 60 years old, noting that it is a preventive measure, according to foreign media reports. Munich, Germany‘s 3rd largest city and the capital of the Bavarian state, and Brandenburg also suspended the vaccine for people under 60.
Previously, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Germany’s official body responsible for reviewing vaccines, noted that 31 people had suffered rare blood clots after receiving the AZ vaccine, and nine people had died, all but two cases in women aged 20 to 63. More than 2.7 million people in Germany have received the AZ vaccine to date.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn will meet with the heads of 16 states on Tuesday evening local Time to discuss vaccine policy. Kalecki said that although no serious side effects of the vaccine have occurred in Berlin, it must still be taken seriously and await the outcome of the federal-level talks.
Cases of abnormal blood clots after the administration of AZ vaccine led to the suspension of vaccination in many European countries at one point earlier this month. After a review by medical experts, the European Medicines Agency has concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the harms, but that patients need to be informed of the risks associated with the vaccination, namely the possibility of rare side effects.
Two hospitals in Berlin announced earlier today that female employees under the age of 55 were to be suspended from receiving the AZ vaccine, and in western Germany, the heads of five university hospitals asked all young women to stop receiving the vaccine.
Recent Comments