• Aifa: precautionary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy

  • Magrini (Aifa): stop as a precaution but the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe

  • Piedmont suspends AstraZeneca lot.

    Ireland and Holland precautionary stop

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March 16, 2021 - The stop to the Astrazeneca anti-covid vaccine halts the vaccination campaign in Italy and agitates the government. But in the meantime, there are those who are wondering what to do, especially among citizens who have received the first dose and were waiting for the second. While thousands of vaccination hubs, from one end of the country to the other, find themselves suddenly suspending vaccinations, sending those in line back home, waiting for inoculation.



Waiting for the

final ruling on Thursday by the European Medicines Agency

on the Anglo-Swedish vaccine, estimates are made on the possible impact of the suspension decided by the Italian Agency (Aifa). Immediate consequences, with tens of thousands of bookings for the administration of AstraZeneca skipped - 7 thousand today in Lazio alone, over a third of the daily total - and much more serious if the stop were to continue or even become definitive. Not to mention the effect that the news of these days - between suspected deaths and precautionary intervention by the main European countries - could generate in the population even in the event of resumption of use. 



It is calculated on data from the Ministry of Health that by the end of March without AstraZeneca there would be a risk of going from over 7 million doses delivered (including those of Pfizer and Moderna) to just over 4 million. Sources of the emergency commissioner downsize the blackest forecasts, underlining that

AstraZeneca does not represent the largest part of the expected supplies

. General Francesco Figliuolo had already assured that in case of delays in the deliveries of Astrazeneca he could have compensated with Pfizer, but now the use of the Oxford product itself is under discussion - at least until Thursday. Despite all the experts continue to reassure about its use.   



Mass vaccination under the new national plan is expected to take off in mid-April, with

the arrival of millions of vials of the US Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine

. For now we are dealing with the cancellations of the reservations of citizens to whom AstraZeneca was destined, passed from the use in the 18-55 age group to that up to 65 years and finally also for the over 65. In addition to Lazio, one of the Regions with the best vaccination performance, even Tuscany, even among the virtuous ones, finds itself suspending 34 thousand appointments in a week. And Lombardy, which had to get back on top after several problems in the campaign, has postponed 33,500 vaccinations between today and Thursday. In Italy so far since 11 February almost 1.1 million people have received the first injection of Astrazeneca, which provides for a much more distant booster than the other vaccines, at three months. "We are confident that they will receive the recall on schedule," said Gianni Rezza of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). 



Speranza: "Yesterday made new: precautionary stop Astrazeneca"

"Stopping vaccinations with Astrazeneca was an exclusively precautionary choice": this was stated by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza who, interviewed on Corriere.it, explains: "Yesterday there is It was a new fact, reported by the Vaccine Control Institute in Germany. Compared to this, there was a prudential choice, also from other countries, we await the assessments of Ema and Aifa "." These are - he stresses - necessary precautions to make a more in-depth assessment. I think this is a serious attitude citizens can trust. Vaccines are safe ".



Stop hub in Fiumicino after vaccine suspension

After the suspension of the Astrazeneca vaccine, no activity at the Vaccinal Center at the long-stay parking lot at Fiumicino airport The entrances are closed and the channels where, until yesterday afternoon, have followed one another, from On 11 February, the hundreds of daily administrations that involved categories such as law enforcement and teachers, up to pharmacists last Sunday. Even today the usual hundreds of daily vaccinations were scheduled but the booked ones were sent text messages to suspend the appointment. The facility, the largest in Lazio with approximately 1,500 square meters entirely covered and heated, is capable of administering over 3,000 doses of vaccine daily.



Tuscany: "Priority to those who had booked"

"Those who had booked and saw their vaccination postponed will have priority when the vaccinations start again". This was stated by the president of the regional council of Tuscany Antonio Mazzeo regarding the suspension of the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine. "A precautionary choice - reassures Mazzeo - by the EMA that wants to investigate better if there is a correlation between the vaccine and adverse reactions. Now, however, there is a need for clarity, until 24 hours ago Ema and Aifa reassured us explaining to us that the vaccine was safe, it was suddenly suspended without giving us further information, this does not help either those who have to decide or the citizens. The health of the Italians is at stake. The credibility of science is at stake ".