A caregiver prepares a dose of Covid vaccine in Marseille.

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Daniel Cole / AP / SIPA

  • The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) published the results of its investigation into the adverse effects of vaccination on Friday.

  • Of the more than 9 million doses injected since the start of the vaccination campaign, around 2,900 serious adverse effects have been identified.

  • If the AstraZeneca vaccine is at the heart of concerns, it is that of the German-American laboratory Pfizer-BioNTech that caused the most serious forms.

Since the start of the vaccination campaign, out of the 9 million doses administered in France, 2,900 serious adverse reactions have been reported, according to the latest figures communicated by the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), in a report published this morning. Friday.

In detail, 9,815,000 doses have been injected since December 27, 2020, the date of the launch of the vaccination campaign in France.

Since then, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) has recorded 12,249 reports of adverse reactions, or 0.2%.

Among them, 2,939 cases (or 24%) are considered serious.

To see more clearly,

20 Minutes

takes stock of the side effects identified for the three vaccines authorized in France: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

More side effects at Pfizer

Since the start of the vaccination campaign, more than 7,251,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered.

Among them, 12,249 caused undesirable effects, or 0.6%.

As for the AstraZeneca vaccine, out of the 1,923,000 injections, the ANSM notes 7,439 adverse effects, or 0.38%.

Finally at Moderna, 577 adverse effects were detected among the 617,000 injected doses, ie 0.09%.

Among these adverse reactions, the supervisory body records 0.138% are serious forms for Pfizer, 0.098% for AstraZeneca and 0.0153% for Moderna.

Contrary to what one might think, the AstraZeneca vaccine, at the heart of concerns, is not the one that caused the most adverse effects, but that of the German-American laboratory Pfizer-BioNTech.

In its report, the ANSM details the list of undesirable effects.

Among the most recurring complications, we find thromboembolic events, arterial hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, shingles or diabetic complications.

The more publicized thromboses?

But it is the thromboembolic events, or thrombosis, that are at the heart of the concerns.

After several reports of cases of blood clots, sometimes fatal, about fifteen European countries suspended, on March 15, the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for 24 hours.

While a similar number of severe thromboembolic events have been recorded for AstraZeneca (91) and Pfizer (89) - and none for Moderna - these figures must however be put into perspective.

Since the number of Pfizer doses administered is almost seven times higher than those of AstraZeneca, the risk of severe thromboembolic events is lower with the vaccine from the German-American laboratory.

"At this stage, the reported cases of venous thromboembolic events do not show any particular specificity in favor of a role of the vaccine", however tempers the ANSM in its report, adding "that an increased notification was observed on this last follow-up period, which could potentially be linked to the recent media coverage of these events with the Astra Zeneca vaccine in the context of vaccine surveillance.

Indeed, among the new cases reported, a majority concerned cases which had occurred several weeks ago ”.

No deaths from Moderna vaccine

An investigation was opened in mid-March by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to verify possible links between the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine and these side effects.

On March 18, the European regulator affirmed that “its benefits in protecting people from Covid-19, with the associated risks of death and hospitalization, outweigh the possible risks”.

After the opinion of the EMA, which judged it "safe and effective", France resumed vaccination with AstraZeneca on March 19.

But it's not just thromboembolic events that are being watched closely.

Among the undesirable effects recorded, the ANSM also noted 279 cases of arterial hypertension in Pfizer, 28 in Moderna and 48 in AstraZeneca.

But the authority wants to be reassuring and affirms that "these effects remain of rapid favorable evolution in a few hours to a few days, spontaneously after medical supervision, or after initiation or adaptation of the antihypertensive treatment".

Regarding deaths, since January 20, 2021, 34 people who have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine have died, 354 with Pfizer and none with Moderna.

But, in its synthesis, the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) affirms that "the current data do not allow to conclude [that these deaths] are linked to vaccination".

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